🏠 Household
How Much Does a Home Sauna Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh (May 2026), a home sauna costs about $9.59 per month at typical usage — 2 uses/week at 6 kWh each.
Per use
$1.10
6 kWh per use
Per day
$0.32
2 uses/week at 6 kWh each
Per month
$9.59
52 kWh
Per year
$115
626 kWh
Traditional electric sauna heaters draw 3–9 kW and need 30–45 minutes of preheat before sessions, so each sauna evening uses 5–8 kWh. Infrared saunas cut that roughly in half by heating bodies rather than a room of hot rocks.
Calculate it for your home
Per use
$1.10
Per day
$0.32
Per month
$9.59
Per year
$115
Uses 52 kWh/month at 18.4¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.4 | $0.74 | $6.46 | $77.59 |
| Utah | 13.0 | $0.78 | $6.77 | $81.34 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | $0.80 | $6.98 | $83.85 |
| Nebraska | 13.6 | $0.82 | $7.09 | $85.10 |
| Nevada | 13.6 | $0.82 | $7.09 | $85.10 |
| North Dakota | 13.6 | $0.82 | $7.09 | $85.10 |
| Missouri | 13.7 | $0.82 | $7.14 | $85.72 |
| Iowa | 14.1 | $0.85 | $7.35 | $88.23 |
| New Mexico | 14.1 | $0.85 | $7.35 | $88.23 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | $0.85 | $7.40 | $88.85 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | $0.86 | $7.50 | $90.10 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | $0.87 | $7.56 | $90.73 |
| Montana | 14.7 | $0.88 | $7.66 | $91.98 |
| Wyoming | 14.8 | $0.89 | $7.71 | $92.61 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | $0.90 | $7.82 | $93.86 |
| Washington | 15.0 | $0.90 | $7.82 | $93.86 |
| Kansas | 15.1 | $0.91 | $7.87 | $94.48 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | $0.91 | $7.87 | $94.48 |
| Arizona | 15.2 | $0.91 | $7.92 | $95.11 |
| Florida | 15.2 | $0.91 | $7.92 | $95.11 |
| South Dakota | 15.7 | $0.94 | $8.18 | $98.24 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | $0.95 | $8.23 | $98.86 |
| Colorado | 16.2 | $0.97 | $8.44 | $101 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | $0.97 | $8.44 | $101 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | $0.97 | $8.44 | $101 |
| Oregon | 16.3 | $0.98 | $8.49 | $102 |
| Texas | 16.4 | $0.98 | $8.55 | $103 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | $1.01 | $8.76 | $105 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | $1.01 | $8.76 | $105 |
| Minnesota | 17.0 | $1.02 | $8.86 | $106 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | $1.06 | $9.17 | $110 |
| Indiana | 18.2 | $1.09 | $9.48 | $114 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | $1.16 | $10.11 | $121 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | $1.17 | $10.16 | $122 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7 | $1.18 | $10.27 | $123 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6 | $1.30 | $11.26 | $135 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | $1.31 | $11.36 | $136 |
| Michigan | 22.0 | $1.32 | $11.47 | $138 |
| New Jersey | 23.3 | $1.40 | $12.14 | $146 |
| Illinois | 23.9 | $1.43 | $12.46 | $150 |
| Vermont | 24.9 | $1.49 | $12.98 | $156 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | $1.52 | $13.24 | $159 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3 | $1.64 | $14.23 | $171 |
| Connecticut | 27.4 | $1.64 | $14.28 | $171 |
| Alaska | 28.2 | $1.69 | $14.70 | $176 |
| Maine | 28.6 | $1.72 | $14.90 | $179 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8 | $1.73 | $15.01 | $180 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | $1.77 | $15.37 | $185 |
| New York | 29.9 | $1.79 | $15.58 | $187 |
| California | 33.3 | $2.00 | $17.35 | $208 |
| Hawaii | 52.0 | $3.12 | $27.10 | $325 |
How to lower the cost
- Always-on devices are the quiet budget line: audit anything that runs 24/7.
- Auto modes with sensors (purifiers, dehumidifiers) cut runtime dramatically versus always-on.
- A smart plug with energy monitoring answers “what does this actually use?” for $10.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a home sauna use?
A typical home sauna uses about 6 kWh per use. At 2 uses per week, that's roughly 52 kWh per month.
How much does one use of a home sauna cost?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh, each use costs about $1.10. That ranges from $0.74 in Idaho to $3.12 in Hawaii.
How much does a home sauna cost to run per month?
With typical usage (2 uses/week at 6 kWh each), expect about $9.59 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $6.46 in Idaho up to $27.10 in Hawaii. Rates are as of May 2026.
Does a home sauna use a lot of electricity?
It's a moderate load: roughly 6% of an average U.S. home's monthly consumption at typical usage. Noticeable, but not a bill-driver on its own.