laundry · 1500W typical

Running a clothes steamer costs about $0.19/month.

That's the typical clothes steamer at 1500W, run 0.05 hours a day at the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator below to see yours.

Estimated cost

$0.19/month

$0.01 per day$2.26 per year1.13 kWh monthly

Wattage

Hours / day

Your rate

A clothes steamer draws full power only while the thermostat/compressor is running — about 0.0 effective hours at 1500W across your 0.05-hour window.

How you use it

Cost shifts with how long it's on.

The same clothes steamer can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.

quick touch-up

$0.19

per month

3-5 min per day

0.05 hrs/day·$2.26/yr

weekly steam

$0.56

per month

10 min per session, a few times/week

0.15 hrs/day·$6.78/yr

Where you live

$0.34 spread between the cheapest and priciest states.

Same appliance, same hours of use, different zip code — the monthly cost varies this much.

State	Rate	Monthly	Yearly
Hawaii	41.2¢	$0.46	$5.64
California	31.4¢	$0.35	$4.30
Massachusetts	30.8¢	$0.35	$4.22
Connecticut	28.7¢	$0.32	$3.93
Rhode Island	27.9¢	$0.31	$3.82
New Hampshire	24.6¢	$0.28	$3.37
Alaska	24.3¢	$0.27	$3.33
New York	22.3¢	$0.25	$3.05
Maine	22.1¢	$0.25	$3.02
Vermont	21.5¢	$0.24	$2.94
Michigan	19.3¢	$0.22	$2.64
New Jersey	19.1¢	$0.21	$2.61
Maryland	18.4¢	$0.21	$2.52
Pennsylvania	18.1¢	$0.20	$2.48
District of Columbia	17.8¢	$0.20	$2.44
Wisconsin	17.4¢	$0.20	$2.38
Delaware	17.2¢	$0.19	$2.35
Illinois	16.9¢	$0.19	$2.31
Ohio	16.6¢	$0.19	$2.27
Nevada	16.3¢	$0.18	$2.23
Indiana	15.8¢	$0.18	$2.16
Virginia	15.7¢	$0.18	$2.15
Minnesota	15.6¢	$0.18	$2.14
Colorado	15.4¢	$0.17	$2.11
Alabama	15.2¢	$0.17	$2.08
West Virginia	15.2¢	$0.17	$2.08
Florida	15.1¢	$0.17	$2.07
New Mexico	14.8¢	$0.17	$2.03
Texas	14.8¢	$0.17	$2.03
Arizona	14.7¢	$0.17	$2.01
South Carolina	14.7¢	$0.17	$2.01
Kansas	14.6¢	$0.16	$2.00
Georgia	14.2¢	$0.16	$1.94
Iowa	14.1¢	$0.16	$1.93
North Carolina	13.9¢	$0.16	$1.90
Missouri	13.6¢	$0.15	$1.86
Oregon	13.4¢	$0.15	$1.83
Tennessee	13.3¢	$0.15	$1.82
Kentucky	13.2¢	$0.15	$1.81
Mississippi	13.1¢	$0.15	$1.79
Oklahoma	13.1¢	$0.15	$1.79
South Dakota	12.7¢	$0.14	$1.74
Montana	12.4¢	$0.14	$1.70
Nebraska	12.2¢	$0.14	$1.67
Arkansas	12.1¢	$0.14	$1.66
Washington	12.1¢	$0.14	$1.66
Louisiana	11.9¢	$0.13	$1.63
Wyoming	11.6¢	$0.13	$1.59
North Dakota	11.5¢	$0.13	$1.57
Utah	11.4¢	$0.13	$1.56
Idaho	11.3¢	$0.13	$1.55

Efficient vs. inefficient

A $1.36/year difference across the wattage range.

Swapping a high-draw model for an efficient one pays for itself. Here's what that looks like annually at typical usage.

Most efficient

900W

$0.11 per month

$1.36 per year

Typical

1500W

$0.19 per month

$2.26 per year

High draw

1800W

$0.22 per month

$2.71 per year

When it hits hardest

year-round peak

Constant use.

Ways to cut the cost

1
Use a travel-size steamer for small jobs
Uses ~half the watts of a full-size unit
2
Don't pre-heat for longer than needed — most ready in under a minute
Saves 100-200 Wh per use
3
Unplug when finished — many draw 1-3W standby
Saves 10-20 kWh/year

Real-world wattages

Pulled from actual spec sheets.

Brand	Model	Watts
Jiffy	J-2000 Pro	1300W
Conair	GS23 Turbo ExtremeSteam	1875W
PurSteam	Elite Travel Steamer	800W

Picks that actually move the needle

Three products worth comparing if you're thinking about upgrading or supplementing what you have.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a small commission — it never changes the price you pay, and we only recommend picks we would stand behind.

Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam GS23

Fast 45-second heat-up minimizes wasted watts

$55-80

PurSteam Elite Travel Steamer

800W — most efficient small steamer

$30-45

Distilled Water 1 Gallon Pack

Prevents scale that reduces steam output

$10-15