How Much Does It Cost to Run a Welder (MIG or Stick) in Quebec? (2026)
Welders draw heavy current while the arc is on, from 2 kW for a small MIG at low settings to 7 kW or more for a stick welder at full output. Arc-on time is a small fraction of shop time, so total energy is modest.
A typical welder (mig or stick) (4,000 W) costs C$0.33 per hour, or about C$2.49 per month at 0.25 hours a day in Quebec. Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 2,000 W | C$0.17 | C$0.041 | C$1.24 | C$15.13 |
| Typical 4,000 W | C$0.33 | C$0.083 | C$2.49 | C$30.26 |
| High 7,000 W | C$0.58 | C$0.15 | C$4.35 | C$52.95 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.25 h/day ≈ 365 kWh per year.
One hour of a welder (mig or stick) (4.0 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 22km in an electric car
- 40hours of TV
- 89hours of a laptop
- 444hours of an LED bulb
In Quebec, with electricity at 8.3¢ per kWh (source: Hydro-Québec 2025 comparison, 2025-04), a typical welder (mig or stick) costs C$0.33 per hour and about C$30.26 per year at 0.25 hours a day. That is about 41% less than the national average for Canada (C$4.20 per month), because electricity in Quebec costs 8.3¢ per kWh against 14.0¢ nationally. Each C$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 3.0 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a welder (mig or stick)
- Turn the welder off between jobs. Transformer welders draw 10 to 30 watts idle.
- Use the lowest amperage that gives good penetration.
- Inverter welders are 20 to 30 percent more efficient than transformer types.
In standby it draws about 10 W, which adds roughly 88 kWh (C$7.26) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a welder use per hour of welding?
About 4 kWh per hour of actual arc time on a typical machine. Real sessions have far less arc time.
Do welders use power when idle?
Transformer welders draw 10 to 30 watts idle; inverters use less.
Is a 240 V welder more expensive to run?
No. Voltage affects available power, not efficiency.
Cost by region
US states
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Canadian provinces
Related appliances
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz