Hair dryer
How much electricity does a hair dryer use?
1,200–1,875 W · 5–10 min per use · $1–$4 per month
A hair dryer is a heater with a fan attached. Nearly all the wattage goes into the coil, which is why a 1,875 W dryer warms the bathroom in winter and trips a shared circuit if you plug it in alongside a space heater.
The numbers
- Low heat / low fan: 400–700 W
- Medium: 900–1,200 W
- Max heat and fan: 1,500–1,875 W
Ten minutes at maximum is 0.3 kWh — about 5 cents. Even daily use costs well under $2 a month.
Why it still matters
Not for the bill, but for the circuit. A 1,875 W dryer on a 15 A circuit already uses 80% of a 1,800 W capacity. Add a space heater on the same breaker and you have a genuine overload risk. This is the most common cause of bathroom breaker trips.
Saving without changing habits
Towel-drying thoroughly before switching the dryer on removes a large share of the water the dryer would otherwise have to evaporate, and can cut drying time by a third. It is the cheapest "energy saving" in the house.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a hair dryer use?
1,200–1,875 W. The figure on the rating label is the maximum draw; actual use varies with settings, age and usage pattern.
How much does it cost to run a hair dryer per month?
With the defaults above it comes to the monthly figure shown in the calculator. At 16.5¢/kWh — the US residential average — that is a realistic middle estimate. Your own bill may be 30% lower or higher depending on state.
Is it cheaper to run a hair dryer at night?
Only if your utility offers a time-of-use plan and you avoid the 4pm–9pm peak window. On a flat-rate plan, the time of day makes no difference to the total.
Does the calculator account for real-world duty cycles?
Not automatically — you enter the effective hours yourself. For compressing appliances like refrigerators and AC units, enter the running watts and roughly the proportion of time the compressor is on, which is usually 30–50%.
Will a newer hair dryer actually save money?
Compare the kWh figure in the calculator against an Energy Star model's stated annual use. If the difference is a few hundred kWh a year, the payback on a replacement is usually long; if it is over 500 kWh, it is worth pricing out.