How Much Does It Cost to Run a Vacuum Cleaner? (2026)
Corded vacuums draw 500 to 2,000 watts. EU rules cap new models at 900 watts, and modern designs clean as well at lower power. Fifteen minutes a day is about 0.25 kWh.
A typical vacuum cleaner (1,000 W) costs $0.18 per hour, or about $1.38 per month at 0.25 hours a day in the US. Cheap to run
Hours used per day
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 500 W | $0.092 | $0.023 | $0.69 | $8.37 |
| Typical 1,000 W | $0.18 | $0.046 | $1.38 | $16.74 |
| High 2,000 W | $0.37 | $0.092 | $2.75 | $33.47 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.25 h/day ≈ 91 kWh per year.
One hour of a vacuum cleaner (1.0 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 5.6km in an electric car
- 10hours of TV
- 22hours of a laptop
- 111hours of an LED bulb
Around the world per year at typical use, local prices
How to lower the cost of running a vacuum cleaner
- Empty the bag or bin at half full. A full vacuum loses suction and runs longer.
- Match the setting to the floor. Hard floors need far less power than carpet.
- Cordless stick vacuums use a fraction of the power per session.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to vacuum the house?
About 0.25 to 0.5 kWh for a 15 to 30 minute clean.
Are high-wattage vacuums better?
Not necessarily. Airflow design matters more than motor wattage.
Do robot vacuums use a lot of electricity?
No. Charging one uses about 0.05 kWh per run.
Compare with
Cost by region
- United States (average)
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India
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
- Clothes Iron1,500 W typical
- Heat Pump Dryer900 W typical
- Robot Vacuum30 W typical
- Clothes Dryer3,000 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz