How Much Does It Cost to Run a Shop Vacuum? (2026)

Shop vacuums draw 800 to 1,800 watts while running. Fifteen minutes of cleanup uses about 0.3 kWh, comparable to a household vacuum.

A typical shop vacuum (1,200 W) costs $0.22 per hour, or about $1.65 per month at 0.25 hours a day in the US. Cheap to run

Electricity price region

Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low 800 W	$0.15	$0.037	$1.10	$13.39
Typical 1,200 W	$0.22	$0.055	$1.65	$20.08
High 1,800 W	$0.33	$0.083	$2.48	$30.12

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.25 h/day ≈ 110 kWh per year.

One hour of a shop vacuum (1.2 kWh) is the same electricity as

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #35 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

Around the world per year at typical use, local prices

How to lower the cost of running a shop vacuum

Empty the drum and clean the filter. A clogged filter makes the motor run harder.
Use the right hose diameter for the tool to keep suction efficient.
Switch it off between tasks instead of leaving it running.

How much does it cost to run a shop vac?

About 0.3 kWh per 15 minutes.

Is a shop vac more expensive to run than a regular vacuum?

Similar. Both sit in the 800 to 1,800 watt range.

Do cordless shop vacs use less energy?

Per minute yes, but charging losses make the total similar.

US states

Canadian provinces