🩺 Personal Care & Health
How Much Does a Towel Warmer Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.8¢/kWh (April 2026), a towel warmer costs about $2.29 per month at typical usage — 4 hours/day.
Per hour
1.9¢
at 60–250 W
Per day
7.5¢
4 hours/day
Per month
$2.29
12 kWh
Per year
$27.45
146 kWh
Heated towel racks draw 60–250 watts, and the habit that matters is runtime: on a timer for an hour before showers, cost is trivial; left on 24/7, a large rack rivals a refrigerator.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
1.9¢
Per day
7.5¢
Per month
$2.29
Per year
$27.45
Uses 12 kWh/month at 18.8¢ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 12.4 | 1.2¢ | $1.51 | $18.10 |
| Idaho | 12.7 | 1.3¢ | $1.54 | $18.54 |
| Nebraska | 13.3 | 1.3¢ | $1.62 | $19.42 |
| Oklahoma | 13.3 | 1.3¢ | $1.62 | $19.42 |
| Utah | 13.3 | 1.3¢ | $1.62 | $19.42 |
| Iowa | 13.9 | 1.4¢ | $1.69 | $20.29 |
| Montana | 13.9 | 1.4¢ | $1.69 | $20.29 |
| Missouri | 14.0 | 1.4¢ | $1.70 | $20.44 |
| Arkansas | 14.2 | 1.4¢ | $1.73 | $20.73 |
| Nevada | 14.3 | 1.4¢ | $1.74 | $20.88 |
| Louisiana | 14.4 | 1.4¢ | $1.75 | $21.02 |
| Washington | 14.4 | 1.4¢ | $1.75 | $21.02 |
| South Dakota | 14.5 | 1.4¢ | $1.76 | $21.17 |
| Wyoming | 14.7 | 1.5¢ | $1.79 | $21.46 |
| Tennessee | 14.9 | 1.5¢ | $1.81 | $21.75 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 1.5¢ | $1.82 | $21.90 |
| New Mexico | 15.2 | 1.5¢ | $1.85 | $22.19 |
| Florida | 15.4 | 1.5¢ | $1.87 | $22.48 |
| Georgia | 15.4 | 1.5¢ | $1.87 | $22.48 |
| Arizona | 15.5 | 1.6¢ | $1.88 | $22.63 |
| Kansas | 15.8 | 1.6¢ | $1.92 | $23.07 |
| Oregon | 15.8 | 1.6¢ | $1.92 | $23.07 |
| West Virginia | 16.1 | 1.6¢ | $1.96 | $23.51 |
| North Carolina | 16.3 | 1.6¢ | $1.98 | $23.80 |
| Minnesota | 16.4 | 1.6¢ | $1.99 | $23.94 |
| Colorado | 16.5 | 1.7¢ | $2.01 | $24.09 |
| Mississippi | 16.8 | 1.7¢ | $2.04 | $24.53 |
| Texas | 17.0 | 1.7¢ | $2.07 | $24.82 |
| South Carolina | 17.1 | 1.7¢ | $2.08 | $24.97 |
| Alabama | 17.4 | 1.7¢ | $2.12 | $25.40 |
| Virginia | 17.4 | 1.7¢ | $2.12 | $25.40 |
| Indiana | 17.9 | 1.8¢ | $2.18 | $26.13 |
| Delaware | 18.8 | 1.9¢ | $2.29 | $27.45 |
| Wisconsin | 19.2 | 1.9¢ | $2.33 | $28.03 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 2.0¢ | $2.37 | $28.47 |
| Illinois | 20.5 | 2.1¢ | $2.49 | $29.93 |
| Michigan | 21.4 | 2.1¢ | $2.60 | $31.24 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5 | 2.2¢ | $2.61 | $31.39 |
| Maryland | 22.1 | 2.2¢ | $2.69 | $32.27 |
| New Jersey | 23.5 | 2.4¢ | $2.86 | $34.31 |
| Vermont | 24.6 | 2.5¢ | $2.99 | $35.92 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 2.5¢ | $3.09 | $37.08 |
| New Hampshire | 27.2 | 2.7¢ | $3.31 | $39.71 |
| Alaska | 27.4 | 2.7¢ | $3.33 | $40.00 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 2.8¢ | $3.44 | $41.32 |
| Maine | 28.4 | 2.8¢ | $3.45 | $41.46 |
| Massachusetts | 29.5 | 2.9¢ | $3.59 | $43.07 |
| New York | 29.5 | 2.9¢ | $3.59 | $43.07 |
| Connecticut | 32.2 | 3.2¢ | $3.92 | $47.01 |
| California | 35.3 | 3.5¢ | $4.29 | $51.54 |
| Hawaii | 46.6 | 4.7¢ | $5.67 | $68.04 |
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 towel warmer use?
A typical towel warmer draws about 100 watts in use. At 4 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.4 kWh per day, or 12 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a towel warmer for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.8¢/kWh, one hour costs about 1.9¢. In North Dakota (12.4¢/kWh) it's 1.2¢, while in Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh) it's 4.7¢.
How much does a towel warmer cost to run per month?
With typical usage (4 hours/day), expect about $2.29 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $1.51 in North Dakota up to $5.67 in Hawaii. Rates are as of April 2026.
Does a towel warmer 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.