🩺 Personal Care & Health
How Much Does a Towel Warmer Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.4¢/kWh (May 2026), a towel warmer costs about $2.24 per month at typical usage — 4 hours/day.
Per hour
1.8¢
at 60–250 W
Per day
7.4¢
4 hours/day
Per month
$2.24
12 kWh
Per year
$26.86
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
1.8¢
Per day
7.4¢
Per month
$2.24
Per year
$26.86
Uses 12 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 | 1.2¢ | $1.51 | $18.10 |
| Utah | 13.0 | 1.3¢ | $1.58 | $18.98 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | 1.3¢ | $1.63 | $19.56 |
| Nebraska | 13.6 | 1.4¢ | $1.65 | $19.86 |
| Nevada | 13.6 | 1.4¢ | $1.65 | $19.86 |
| North Dakota | 13.6 | 1.4¢ | $1.65 | $19.86 |
| Missouri | 13.7 | 1.4¢ | $1.67 | $20.00 |
| Iowa | 14.1 | 1.4¢ | $1.71 | $20.59 |
| New Mexico | 14.1 | 1.4¢ | $1.71 | $20.59 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | 1.4¢ | $1.73 | $20.73 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | 1.4¢ | $1.75 | $21.02 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | 1.4¢ | $1.76 | $21.17 |
| Montana | 14.7 | 1.5¢ | $1.79 | $21.46 |
| Wyoming | 14.8 | 1.5¢ | $1.80 | $21.61 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | 1.5¢ | $1.82 | $21.90 |
| Washington | 15.0 | 1.5¢ | $1.82 | $21.90 |
| Kansas | 15.1 | 1.5¢ | $1.84 | $22.05 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | 1.5¢ | $1.84 | $22.05 |
| Arizona | 15.2 | 1.5¢ | $1.85 | $22.19 |
| Florida | 15.2 | 1.5¢ | $1.85 | $22.19 |
| South Dakota | 15.7 | 1.6¢ | $1.91 | $22.92 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | 1.6¢ | $1.92 | $23.07 |
| Colorado | 16.2 | 1.6¢ | $1.97 | $23.65 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | 1.6¢ | $1.97 | $23.65 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | 1.6¢ | $1.97 | $23.65 |
| Oregon | 16.3 | 1.6¢ | $1.98 | $23.80 |
| Texas | 16.4 | 1.6¢ | $1.99 | $23.94 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | 1.7¢ | $2.04 | $24.53 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | 1.7¢ | $2.04 | $24.53 |
| Minnesota | 17.0 | 1.7¢ | $2.07 | $24.82 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 1.8¢ | $2.14 | $25.70 |
| Indiana | 18.2 | 1.8¢ | $2.21 | $26.57 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | 1.9¢ | $2.36 | $28.32 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 2.0¢ | $2.37 | $28.47 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7 | 2.0¢ | $2.40 | $28.76 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6 | 2.2¢ | $2.63 | $31.54 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | 2.2¢ | $2.65 | $31.83 |
| Michigan | 22.0 | 2.2¢ | $2.68 | $32.12 |
| New Jersey | 23.3 | 2.3¢ | $2.83 | $34.02 |
| Illinois | 23.9 | 2.4¢ | $2.91 | $34.89 |
| Vermont | 24.9 | 2.5¢ | $3.03 | $36.35 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | 2.5¢ | $3.09 | $37.08 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3 | 2.7¢ | $3.32 | $39.86 |
| Connecticut | 27.4 | 2.7¢ | $3.33 | $40.00 |
| Alaska | 28.2 | 2.8¢ | $3.43 | $41.17 |
| Maine | 28.6 | 2.9¢ | $3.48 | $41.76 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8 | 2.9¢ | $3.50 | $42.05 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | 2.9¢ | $3.59 | $43.07 |
| New York | 29.9 | 3.0¢ | $3.64 | $43.65 |
| California | 33.3 | 3.3¢ | $4.05 | $48.62 |
| Hawaii | 52.0 | 5.2¢ | $6.32 | $75.92 |
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 18.4¢/kWh, one hour costs about 1.8¢. In Idaho (12.4¢/kWh) it's 1.2¢, while in Hawaii (52¢/kWh) it's 5.2¢.
How much does a towel warmer cost to run per month?
With typical usage (4 hours/day), expect about $2.24 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $1.51 in Idaho up to $6.32 in Hawaii. Rates are as of May 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.