🩺 Personal Care & Health
How Much Does a Tanning Bed (Home) Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh (May 2026), a tanning bed (home) costs about $2.80 per month at typical usage — 0.25 hours/day.
Per hour
$0.37
at 1,500–5,000 W
Per day
9.2¢
0.25 hours/day
Per month
$2.80
15 kWh
Per year
$33.58
183 kWh
Home tanning beds run banks of lamps totaling 1,500–5,000 watts. Sessions are short, so cost per session is modest — the fixed price of the habit is in bulbs, not kilowatt-hours.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
$0.37
Per day
9.2¢
Per month
$2.80
Per year
$33.58
Uses 15 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 hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.4 | $0.25 | $1.88 | $22.63 |
| Utah | 13.0 | $0.26 | $1.98 | $23.73 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | $0.27 | $2.04 | $24.46 |
| Nebraska | 13.6 | $0.27 | $2.07 | $24.82 |
| Nevada | 13.6 | $0.27 | $2.07 | $24.82 |
| North Dakota | 13.6 | $0.27 | $2.07 | $24.82 |
| Missouri | 13.7 | $0.27 | $2.08 | $25.00 |
| Iowa | 14.1 | $0.28 | $2.14 | $25.73 |
| New Mexico | 14.1 | $0.28 | $2.14 | $25.73 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | $0.28 | $2.16 | $25.91 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | $0.29 | $2.19 | $26.28 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | $0.29 | $2.20 | $26.46 |
| Montana | 14.7 | $0.29 | $2.23 | $26.83 |
| Wyoming | 14.8 | $0.30 | $2.25 | $27.01 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | $0.30 | $2.28 | $27.38 |
| Washington | 15.0 | $0.30 | $2.28 | $27.38 |
| Kansas | 15.1 | $0.30 | $2.30 | $27.56 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | $0.30 | $2.30 | $27.56 |
| Arizona | 15.2 | $0.30 | $2.31 | $27.74 |
| Florida | 15.2 | $0.30 | $2.31 | $27.74 |
| South Dakota | 15.7 | $0.31 | $2.39 | $28.65 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | $0.32 | $2.40 | $28.84 |
| Colorado | 16.2 | $0.32 | $2.46 | $29.57 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | $0.32 | $2.46 | $29.57 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | $0.32 | $2.46 | $29.57 |
| Oregon | 16.3 | $0.33 | $2.48 | $29.75 |
| Texas | 16.4 | $0.33 | $2.49 | $29.93 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | $0.34 | $2.55 | $30.66 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | $0.34 | $2.55 | $30.66 |
| Minnesota | 17.0 | $0.34 | $2.58 | $31.03 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | $0.35 | $2.68 | $32.12 |
| Indiana | 18.2 | $0.36 | $2.77 | $33.21 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | $0.39 | $2.95 | $35.40 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | $0.39 | $2.96 | $35.59 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7 | $0.39 | $2.99 | $35.95 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6 | $0.43 | $3.28 | $39.42 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | $0.44 | $3.31 | $39.78 |
| Michigan | 22.0 | $0.44 | $3.34 | $40.15 |
| New Jersey | 23.3 | $0.47 | $3.54 | $42.52 |
| Illinois | 23.9 | $0.48 | $3.63 | $43.62 |
| Vermont | 24.9 | $0.50 | $3.78 | $45.44 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | $0.51 | $3.86 | $46.36 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3 | $0.55 | $4.15 | $49.82 |
| Connecticut | 27.4 | $0.55 | $4.16 | $50.00 |
| Alaska | 28.2 | $0.56 | $4.29 | $51.46 |
| Maine | 28.6 | $0.57 | $4.35 | $52.20 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8 | $0.58 | $4.38 | $52.56 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | $0.59 | $4.48 | $53.84 |
| New York | 29.9 | $0.60 | $4.54 | $54.57 |
| California | 33.3 | $0.67 | $5.06 | $60.77 |
| Hawaii | 52.0 | $1.04 | $7.90 | $94.90 |
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 tanning bed (home) use?
A typical tanning bed (home) draws about 2,000 watts in use. At 0.25 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.5 kWh per day, or 15 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a tanning bed (home) for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.4¢/kWh, one hour costs about $0.37. In Idaho (12.4¢/kWh) it's $0.25, while in Hawaii (52¢/kWh) it's $1.04.
How much does a tanning bed (home) cost to run per month?
With typical usage (0.25 hours/day), expect about $2.80 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $1.88 in Idaho up to $7.90 in Hawaii. Rates are as of May 2026.
Does a tanning bed (home) use a lot of electricity?
Not really — at typical usage it's under 2% of an average home's monthly consumption. Heating, cooling, hot water, and drying are the loads that move bills.