How much does it cost to run a hairdryer?
A hairdryer with a typical power of 2,000 watts costs 8.8p for 10 minutes, or 52.6p an hour, at the current price cap.
Uses Ofgem's price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026: 26.32p per kWh, the average for Great Britain when paying by Direct Debit. Prices checked 13 November 2026.
Result
A hairdryer (2,000 W) costs 52.6p an hour to run at the price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh.
an hour, to the nearest penny
| A day | 8.8p |
|---|---|
| A week | 61.4p |
| A month | £2.67 |
| A year | £32.02 |
| Electricity used in a year | 122 kWh |
That is 5% of the 2,500 kWh a typical home uses in a year.
Show the workings
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Turn watts into kilowatts | 2,000 W ÷ 1,000 | 2 kW |
| Cost of one hour | 2 kWh × 26.32p per kWh | 52.6p |
| Cost of one day's use | 52.6p × 10 minutes ÷ 60 | 8.8p |
| Cost of one week | 8.8p × 7 days | 61.4p |
| Cost of one year | 61.4p ÷ 7 × 365 days | £32.02 |
What this leaves out or assumes
- The standing charge is left out, because you pay it whether or not you use this appliance.
- A month is one twelfth of a year.
- The appliance draws its full power for the whole time it is on.
Where the figures come from
- Electricity unit rate, price cap, Great Britain average, Direct Debit: 26.32p per kWh. Source: Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Typical yearly electricity use, medium user: 2,500 kWh a year. Source: Ofgem: Review of typical domestic consumption values, decision (Table 1). Checked 13 November 2026.
Typical power for a hairdryer is from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?. Yours may differ: check its rating plate.
Cost by how long it runs
| Running for | Electricity used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 0.033 kWh | 0.9p |
| 2 minutes | 0.067 kWh | 1.8p |
| 3 minutes | 0.1 kWh | 2.6p |
| 5 minutes | 0.167 kWh | 4.4p |
| 10 minutes | 0.333 kWh | 8.8p |
| 30 minutes | 1 kWh | 26.3p |
Cost over a month and a year
If you used it this much every day:
| Used for | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes a day | £1.33 | £16.01 |
| 10 minutes a day | £2.67 | £32.02 |
| 20 minutes a day | £5.34 | £64.05 |
| 30 minutes a day | £8.01 | £96.07 |
How much electricity does a hairdryer use?
A hairdryer rated at 2,000 watts uses 2 kWh of electricity for every hour it draws full power. Used for 10 minutes every day, that is 122 kWh a year, 5% of the 2,500 kWh a typical home uses.
Cost in your region
The price cap is different in each region. Running a hairdryer for 10 minutes costs 8.5p in East Midlands, the cheapest region, and 9.3p in Merseyside and Northern Wales, the dearest.
| Region | Price per kWh | Cost for 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 25.36p | 8.5p |
| Eastern England | 26.61p | 8.9p |
| London | 26.60p | 8.9p |
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86p | 9.3p |
| North Eastern England | 25.46p | 8.5p |
| North Western England | 26.49p | 8.8p |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35p | 8.8p |
| South Eastern England | 26.88p | 9p |
| South Western England | 26.58p | 8.9p |
| Southern England | 26.47p | 8.8p |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11p | 8.7p |
| Southern Wales | 26.55p | 8.9p |
| West Midlands | 25.60p | 8.5p |
| Yorkshire | 25.60p | 8.5p |
Paying by Direct Debit. Prices for other ways of paying.
How it compares
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour |
|---|---|---|
| Hairdryer | 2,000 W | 52.6p |
| Electric mower | 1,000 W | 26.3p |
| Light bulb | 10 W | 0.3p |
Running costs of every appliance
Checking your own hairdryer
2,000 watts is a typical figure. Yours may be higher or lower. Look for the rating plate on the back or underside, find the number followed by W or kW, and put it in the calculator above.
Typical power is from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?, checked 13 November 2026. Prices are from Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. The costs are our own sums.