🩺 Personal Care & Health
How Much Does a Curling Iron Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a curling iron costs about 6.4¢ per month at typical usage — 4 uses/week at 0.02 kWh each.
Per use
0.4¢
0.02 kWh per use
Per day
0.2¢
4 uses/week at 0.02 kWh each
Per month
6.4¢
0.3 kWh
Per year
$0.76
4.2 kWh
Curling irons draw well under 150 watts for short sessions — electricity is the cheapest part of any hair routine.
Calculate it for your home
Per use
0.4¢
Per day
0.2¢
Per month
6.4¢
Per year
$0.76
Uses 0.3 kWh/month at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per use | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 0.3¢ | 4.4¢ | $0.53 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 0.3¢ | 4.4¢ | $0.53 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 0.3¢ | 4.6¢ | $0.55 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 0.3¢ | 4.7¢ | $0.56 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 0.3¢ | 4.8¢ | $0.57 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 0.3¢ | 4.8¢ | $0.57 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 0.3¢ | 4.8¢ | $0.58 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 0.3¢ | 4.8¢ | $0.58 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 0.3¢ | 5.0¢ | $0.60 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 0.3¢ | 5.0¢ | $0.60 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 0.3¢ | 5.0¢ | $0.60 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 0.3¢ | 5.0¢ | $0.60 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 0.3¢ | 5.1¢ | $0.61 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 0.3¢ | 5.2¢ | $0.63 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 0.3¢ | 5.2¢ | $0.63 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 0.3¢ | 5.3¢ | $0.63 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 0.3¢ | 5.3¢ | $0.64 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 0.3¢ | 5.4¢ | $0.64 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 0.3¢ | 5.4¢ | $0.64 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 0.3¢ | 5.4¢ | $0.65 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 0.3¢ | 5.5¢ | $0.66 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 0.3¢ | 5.5¢ | $0.66 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 0.3¢ | 5.6¢ | $0.67 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 0.3¢ | 5.6¢ | $0.67 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 0.3¢ | 5.6¢ | $0.67 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 0.3¢ | 5.6¢ | $0.67 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 0.3¢ | 5.7¢ | $0.68 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 0.3¢ | 5.7¢ | $0.68 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 0.3¢ | 5.8¢ | $0.70 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 0.3¢ | 5.9¢ | $0.71 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 0.3¢ | 6.1¢ | $0.73 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.4¢ | 6.1¢ | $0.73 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 0.4¢ | 6.4¢ | $0.77 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 0.4¢ | 6.6¢ | $0.80 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 0.4¢ | 6.7¢ | $0.80 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.4¢ | 6.8¢ | $0.81 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | 0.4¢ | 7.4¢ | $0.89 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | 0.4¢ | 7.5¢ | $0.91 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | 0.5¢ | 8.0¢ | $0.96 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | 0.5¢ | 8.3¢ | $0.99 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | 0.5¢ | 8.4¢ | $1.01 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | 0.5¢ | 8.8¢ | $1.05 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | 0.5¢ | 8.8¢ | $1.05 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | 0.5¢ | 9.2¢ | $1.11 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 0.6¢ | $0.10 | $1.18 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | 0.6¢ | $0.10 | $1.20 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.6¢ | $0.10 | $1.25 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | 0.6¢ | $0.11 | $1.27 |
| Maine | 32.4 | 0.6¢ | $0.11 | $1.35 |
| California | 33.6 | 0.7¢ | $0.12 | $1.40 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | 1.0¢ | $0.17 | $2.00 |
How to lower the cost
- Heat-producing devices (dryers, irons, beds) dominate this category — minutes of use, not watts, drive cost.
- Medical devices that run all night or all day may qualify for utility medical-rate discounts — ask your provider.
- Chargers left plugged in draw almost nothing on modern hardware; focus on bigger loads.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a curling iron use?
A typical curling iron uses about 0.02 kWh per use. At 4 uses per week, that's roughly 0.3 kWh per month.
How much does one use of a curling iron cost?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh, each use costs about 0.4¢. That ranges from 0.3¢ in Louisiana to 1.0¢ in Hawaii.
How much does a curling iron cost to run per month?
With typical usage (4 uses/week at 0.02 kWh each), expect about 6.4¢ per month at the U.S. average rate — from 4.4¢ in Louisiana up to $0.17 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a curling iron use a lot of electricity?
Not really — at typical usage it's under 1% of an average home's monthly consumption. Heating, cooling, hot water, and drying are the loads that move bills.