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How much does it cost to run a clothes iron?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a clothes iron costs about $3.00 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 10.0¢
- Per day of use
- 3.0¢
- Per month
- 25.0¢
- Per year
- $3.00
Assumption: 1,100 W at a 50% duty cycle, 18 minutes a day, 100 days a year — 16 kWh a year. Thermostatic, so it cycles rather than drawing continuously.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | 17.5¢ | $2.10 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | 17.7¢ | $2.12 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | 18.3¢ | $2.20 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | 18.3¢ | $2.20 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | 18.4¢ | $2.21 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | 18.5¢ | $2.21 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | 18.6¢ | $2.23 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | 19.0¢ | $2.28 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | 19.8¢ | $2.37 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | 19.8¢ | $2.38 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | 19.8¢ | $2.38 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | 20.1¢ | $2.41 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | 20.4¢ | $2.45 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | 20.6¢ | $2.47 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | 20.6¢ | $2.47 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | 20.7¢ | $2.48 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | 20.8¢ | $2.50 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | 21.3¢ | $2.55 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | 21.4¢ | $2.57 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | 21.7¢ | $2.60 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | 21.9¢ | $2.62 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | 21.9¢ | $2.63 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | 21.9¢ | $2.63 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | 22.0¢ | $2.64 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | 22.4¢ | $2.69 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | 22.5¢ | $2.69 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | 22.7¢ | $2.72 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | 23.4¢ | $2.81 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | 23.5¢ | $2.81 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | 23.6¢ | $2.83 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | 23.6¢ | $2.84 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | 24.3¢ | $2.91 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | 25.7¢ | $3.09 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | 26.6¢ | $3.19 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | 26.6¢ | $3.20 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | 26.7¢ | $3.20 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | 29.4¢ | $3.53 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | 29.9¢ | $3.59 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | 31.6¢ | $3.79 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | 32.8¢ | $3.93 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | 33.7¢ | $4.04 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | 33.8¢ | $4.06 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | 35.7¢ | $4.29 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | 38.0¢ | $4.56 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | 38.7¢ | $4.65 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | 39.4¢ | $4.73 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | 40.4¢ | $4.85 |
| California | 29.75¢ | 40.9¢ | $4.91 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | 41.9¢ | $5.03 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | 44.2¢ | $5.30 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | 64.9¢ | $7.78 |
Cutting the number down
- Ironing a batch on one heat-up costs far less than heating the plate from cold for each shirt.
Questions
- How many watts does a clothes iron use?
- About 1,100 W while running, though it cycles on and off, so average draw is 550 W.
- How much does a clothes iron cost per month?
- About 25.0¢ a month at the U.S. average rate, or $3.00 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $2.10 a year, versus $7.78 in Hawaii — a spread of $5.69.