How Much Does It Cost to Run a Sewing Machine in North Carolina? (2026)
A home sewing machine motor draws 50 to 120 watts and only while the pedal is pressed. An hour of sewing uses less electricity than five minutes of a hair dryer.
A typical sewing machine (80 W) costs $0.012 per hour, or about $0.35 per month at 1 hour a day in North Carolina. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 50 W | $0.007 | $0.007 | $0.22 | $2.69 |
| Typical 80 W | $0.012 | $0.012 | $0.35 | $4.30 |
| High 120 W | $0.018 | $0.018 | $0.53 | $6.46 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 1 h/day ≈ 29 kWh per year.
One day of a sewing machine (1.9 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 11km in an electric car
- 19hours of TV
- 43hours of a laptop
- 213hours of an LED bulb
In North Carolina, with electricity at 14.7¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical sewing machine costs $0.012 per hour and about $4.30 per year at 1 hour a day. That is about 20% less than the national average for the US ($0.44 per month), because electricity in North Carolina costs 14.7¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 84.8 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a sewing machine
- The sewing light is often the only continuous draw. Switch to an LED bulb if it is incandescent.
- Nothing else. This is a negligible load.
- Turn it off at the switch when done.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a sewing machine use?
About 0.05 kWh per hour of active sewing.
Do industrial sewing machines use more?
Yes, 250 to 550 watt motors, but still small compared with heating appliances.
Does a sewing machine use electricity when on but idle?
Only the lamp, typically 5 to 15 watts.
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Treadmill700 W typical
- Exercise Bike or Smart Trainer30 W typical
- Aquarium (Heater, Filter, Light)80 W typical
- 3D Printer120 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz