How much does it cost to run a clothes iron?
A typical clothes iron draws about 1200 watts. Used 0.3 hours a day, that works out to roughly $0.06 per day, $0.51 per month, and $6.12 per year on an average electricity rate of 17¢ per kWh. Irons are high-wattage but used briefly and infrequently.
Clothes Iron running cost calculator
- Per day
- $0.06
- Per month
- $0.51
- Per year
- $6.12
- CO₂ / year
- 14.4 kg
Based on 36 kWh per year. Adjust the price per kWh to match your latest electricity bill for an exact figure.
The number that matters most is your own electricity rate. Rates range from under 11¢ per kWh in some regions to over 30¢ in others, so the same clothes iron can cost two or three times as much depending on where you live. Enter your exact rate in the calculator above to get a figure tailored to your bill.
Over a full year this clothes iron uses about 36 kWh of electricity and is responsible for roughly 14.4 kg of CO₂ emissions on an average grid. Reducing run time, or switching to a more efficient model, lowers both the cost and the footprint.
If this clothes iron is one you use daily, even small efficiency gains compound. Cutting its usage or wattage by 20% would save around $1.22 every year — money that an efficient replacement can recover over its lifetime.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to run a clothes iron per hour?
- At 1200 watts and a 17¢/kWh rate, a clothes iron costs about $0.20 per hour to run.
- How much electricity does a clothes iron use per month?
- Running 0.3 hours a day, a clothes iron uses roughly 3.0 kWh per month, costing about $0.51.
- Is a clothes iron expensive to run?
- Not particularly — at around $6.12 per year, a clothes iron is a relatively minor part of most electricity bills.
- How can I reduce my clothes iron running costs?
- Use it during off-peak hours if your utility offers time-of-use pricing, reduce daily run time, and consider an ENERGY STAR rated clothes iron, which uses less power for the same job.