Running-cost calculator
Find your rate on your electricity bill (the per-kWh price); the U.S. average is roughly $0.17/kWh. Wattage is on the purifier's spec sheet — use the max only if you'll run it on high.
Air purifiers are cheaper to run than most people expect, but the number depends on the unit's wattage, how long you run it, and your local electricity price. The calculator above turns those three inputs into a daily, monthly, and yearly cost.
Key takeaways
- Most HEPA purifiers draw 30–80 watts on a medium setting — roughly a few dollars a month running continuously.
- Running cost scales with the fan speed: auto mode and lower speeds cost far less than running on max.
- Electricity is only half the cost of ownership — filters are the other half.
The bigger cost is usually filters
Electricity is rarely what makes a purifier expensive to own. Replacement filters are. A unit that sips power but needs a $150 filter twice a year costs more over time than a slightly thirstier machine with cheap filters. Run the numbers with the filter cost of ownership calculator to see the full picture, and read more on how much electricity purifiers actually use.
Frequently asked questions
Do air purifiers use a lot of electricity?
Most don't. A typical HEPA purifier draws 30–80 watts on medium — similar to a couple of LED bulbs — so running one around the clock usually costs a few dollars a month. High settings and larger machines cost more; the calculator above gives your exact figure.
How do I find my electricity rate?
It's on your electricity bill as a price per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The U.S. average is roughly $0.17/kWh, but it varies widely by state and plan, so use your own number for an accurate result.
Does auto mode save money?
Yes, noticeably. Auto mode runs the fan slower when the air is already clean, and purifiers draw far less power on low than on high. Leaving a unit on auto rather than max can cut running cost substantially.
Embed this calculator (free)
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