How many watts does a vacuum cleaner use?
A vacuum cleaner uses about 1,000 watts when it is running (most models draw 500–1,500 W). Each hour it runs uses 1 kWh, which costs about 18¢ at the U.S. average price of 18.16 ¢/kWh. Running 30 minutes a day, that comes to about 15 kWh, or $2.72 a month.
Watts, amps, and kWh for a vacuum cleaner
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated wattage range | 500–1,500 W |
| Average draw used in our math | 1,000 W |
| Amps at 120 V | 4.2–13 A (8.3 A at the average draw) |
| kWh per hour | 1.00 kWh |
| kWh per day at 0.5 hours/day | 0.50 kWh |
| kWh per month | 15.0 kWh |
| Cost per month at the U.S. average (18.16 ¢/kWh) | $2.72 |
The math is kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1000 and amps = watts ÷ volts. A standard 120 V household circuit on a 15 A breaker carries about 1,800 W. For the dollars in your state, open cost to run a vacuum cleaner in Texas and switch states from there.
Cost to run a vacuum cleaner in every state
Same 1,000 W draw and 0.5 hours/day, priced at each state's average residential rate (EIA data for August 2026, updated Oct 28, 2026). Open a state for its full cost page.
| State | Price per kWh | Cost per hour | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.33 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.45 |
| Alaska | 29.41 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $4.41 |
| Arizona | 15.05 ¢/kWh | 15¢ | $2.26 |
| Arkansas | 14.37 ¢/kWh | 14¢ | $2.16 |
| California | 29.75 ¢/kWh | 30¢ | $4.46 |
| Colorado | 17.17 ¢/kWh | 17¢ | $2.58 |
| Connecticut | 24.51 ¢/kWh | 25¢ | $3.68 |
| Delaware | 18.70 ¢/kWh | 19¢ | $2.81 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98 ¢/kWh | 26¢ | $3.90 |
| Florida | 14.99 ¢/kWh | 15¢ | $2.25 |
| Georgia | 15.90 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.39 |
| Hawaii | 47.18 ¢/kWh | 47¢ | $7.08 |
| Idaho | 13.37 ¢/kWh | 13¢ | $2.01 |
| Illinois | 19.32 ¢/kWh | 19¢ | $2.90 |
| Indiana | 17.02 ¢/kWh | 17¢ | $2.55 |
| Iowa | 17.06 ¢/kWh | 17¢ | $2.56 |
| Kansas | 15.47 ¢/kWh | 15¢ | $2.32 |
| Kentucky | 13.80 ¢/kWh | 14¢ | $2.07 |
| Louisiana | 12.87 ¢/kWh | 13¢ | $1.93 |
| Maine | 32.11 ¢/kWh | 32¢ | $4.82 |
| Maryland | 21.40 ¢/kWh | 21¢ | $3.21 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48 ¢/kWh | 30¢ | $4.57 |
| Michigan | 22.99 ¢/kWh | 23¢ | $3.45 |
| Minnesota | 17.20 ¢/kWh | 17¢ | $2.58 |
| Mississippi | 14.43 ¢/kWh | 14¢ | $2.16 |
| Missouri | 16.02 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.40 |
| Montana | 15.57 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.34 |
| Nebraska | 13.54 ¢/kWh | 14¢ | $2.03 |
| Nevada | 12.72 ¢/kWh | 13¢ | $1.91 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64 ¢/kWh | 28¢ | $4.15 |
| New Jersey | 24.61 ¢/kWh | 25¢ | $3.69 |
| New Mexico | 16.51 ¢/kWh | 17¢ | $2.48 |
| New York | 28.65 ¢/kWh | 29¢ | $4.30 |
| North Carolina | 14.95 ¢/kWh | 15¢ | $2.24 |
| North Dakota | 13.31 ¢/kWh | 13¢ | $2.00 |
| Ohio | 19.38 ¢/kWh | 19¢ | $2.91 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82 ¢/kWh | 15¢ | $2.22 |
| Oregon | 15.92 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.39 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77 ¢/kWh | 22¢ | $3.27 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18 ¢/kWh | 28¢ | $4.23 |
| South Carolina | 15.76 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.36 |
| South Dakota | 15.15 ¢/kWh | 15¢ | $2.27 |
| Tennessee | 13.42 ¢/kWh | 13¢ | $2.01 |
| Texas | 15.91 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.39 |
| Utah | 13.31 ¢/kWh | 13¢ | $2.00 |
| Vermont | 23.84 ¢/kWh | 24¢ | $3.58 |
| Virginia | 17.64 ¢/kWh | 18¢ | $2.65 |
| Washington | 14.63 ¢/kWh | 15¢ | $2.19 |
| West Virginia | 16.31 ¢/kWh | 16¢ | $2.45 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41 ¢/kWh | 19¢ | $2.91 |
| Wyoming | 14.43 ¢/kWh | 14¢ | $2.16 |
Vacuum Cleaner electricity usage profile
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| kWh per hour | 1.00 kWh |
| kWh per day (typical) | 0.50 kWh |
| kWh per month (typical) | 15.0 kWh |
| kWh per year (typical) | 182.5 kWh |
| Low runtime scenario | 0.5 hours/day |
| High runtime scenario | 2.5 hours/day |
Connect usage to cost tools
Related appliance usage pages
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. EIA data for August 2026, updated Oct 28, 2026. Usage calculations use fixed appliance wattage and runtime assumptions so results stay comparable across pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a vacuum cleaner use?
A vacuum cleaner uses 500–1,500 W (about 1,000 W on average). Our usage and cost math uses 1,000 watts running 0.5 hours/day.
How many amps does a vacuum cleaner draw?
On a 120 V circuit, 500–1,500 W works out to about 4.2–13 A; at the 1,000 W we use in the math that is 8.3 A.
How much electricity does a vacuum cleaner use per month?
About 15.0 kWh a month at 0.5 hours/day. Lighter use (0.5 hours/day) comes to roughly 15.0 kWh and heavier use (2.5 hours/day) roughly 75.0 kWh.
How much does it cost to run a vacuum cleaner per hour?
About 18¢ an hour at the U.S. average rate of 18.16 ¢/kWh: 1,000 watts uses 1.00 kWh each hour. At the same draw it is about 13¢ an hour in Nevada and 47¢ in Hawaii.
How much does it cost to run a vacuum cleaner?
About $2.72 a month at the U.S. average rate of 18.16 ¢/kWh — from roughly $1.91 in Nevada to $7.08 in Hawaii at the same usage. The state cost-to-run pages price it at every state's rate.