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How much does it cost to run an air purifier?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running an air purifier costs about $79.54 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 0.9¢
- Per day of use
- 21.8¢
- Per month
- $6.63
- Per year
- $79.54
Assumption: 50 W, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — 438 kWh a year. Mid-size HEPA unit on medium. High speed can triple the draw.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $4.64 | $55.71 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $4.70 | $56.37 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $4.86 | $58.30 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $4.86 | $58.30 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $4.88 | $58.56 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $4.90 | $58.78 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $4.94 | $59.31 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $5.04 | $60.44 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $5.25 | $62.94 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $5.27 | $63.20 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $5.27 | $63.20 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $5.34 | $64.08 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $5.41 | $64.91 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $5.46 | $65.48 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $5.47 | $65.66 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $5.49 | $65.92 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $5.53 | $66.36 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $5.65 | $67.76 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $5.68 | $68.20 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $5.75 | $69.03 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $5.80 | $69.64 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $5.81 | $69.69 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $5.81 | $69.73 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $5.85 | $70.17 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $5.95 | $71.44 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $5.96 | $71.53 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $6.03 | $72.31 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $6.21 | $74.55 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $6.23 | $74.72 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $6.27 | $75.20 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $6.28 | $75.34 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $6.44 | $77.26 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $6.83 | $81.91 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $7.05 | $84.62 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $7.07 | $84.88 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $7.08 | $85.02 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $7.81 | $93.73 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $7.95 | $95.35 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $8.39 | $101 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $8.70 | $104 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $8.95 | $107 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $8.98 | $108 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $9.48 | $114 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $10.09 | $121 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $10.29 | $123 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $10.46 | $125 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $10.73 | $129 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $10.86 | $130 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $11.13 | $134 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $11.72 | $141 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $17.22 | $207 |
Cutting the number down
- Right-sizing to the room lets you run a bigger unit on low instead of a small one on high, which is quieter and cheaper for the same clean-air delivery.
- A loaded filter forces the fan to work harder for less airflow, so late-life filters cost more per unit of clean air.
Questions
- How many watts does an air purifier use?
- About 50 W while running.
- How much does an air purifier cost per month?
- About $6.63 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $79.54 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $55.71 a year, versus $207 in Hawaii — a spread of $151.