Are you concerned about how much electricity an air purifier uses?
An air purifier can be a great way to improve indoor air quality. Maybe you are looking to buy one, or you bought one recently and want to know how much electricity it uses. My article below will answer this question and tell you how to save electricity.
As with any household appliance, the main thing to look for to determine how much electricity it consumes is the wattage; then, you need to consider how long it is used. The wattage of an air purifier typically ranges between 8W and 130W, costing roughly $1.50 to $12.50 if run continuously for one month. It might not be much unless you use it very often.
Air Purifiers
Air purifiers come in various types, sizes, and shapes and are used for different amounts of time. For this reason, it is impossible to give an exact electricity consumption figure that will be the same for every air purifier.
You will need to check your air purifier for certain information (see the next section) and your electricity bill if you want to know how much it costs.
How Much Electricity Does an Air Purifier Use?
To calculate exactly how much electricity your air purifier consumes, find or work out the following:
- The wattage rating of the air purifier
- The average number of hours you use the air purifier each day
- The total number of days the air purifier is used during the billing period (usually one month)
- The rate of electricity charged (per kW)
Generally, the lower the wattage of the air purifier, the less electricity it will use, and the higher the wattage, the more it will use. But, we will also determine the cost of the electricity it uses below. Once you have the above four pieces of information, use the calculation below to work out how much your air purifier will cost during the billing period:
Wattage / 1000 X Number of Hours Used X Number of Days Consumed X Electricity Rate.
If you use the air purifier for a different number of hours each day or only on some days, you can ignore the number of hours and days in the above calculation and multiply instead by the total number of hours used during the month.
Low Wattage Air Purifiers
Air purifiers typically use between 8W and 130W, costing roughly $0.50 to $12.50 if run continuously for one month. Even in standby mode, they may use up to 1.5-2W (typically around 0.2W). Energy-efficient air purifiers are designed to consume less power, while older air purifiers tend to have higher wattage ratings.
Here are some low-wattage air purifiers that consume no more than 50W:
- Coway Airmega AP-1512HH (15W)
- Xiaomi MI Air Purifier 3H (38W)
- Hathspace HSP001 (40W)
- Levolt Core 300 (45W)
- Rabbit Air Minus A2 (48W)
- Okaysou AirMax 8L (50W)
Note: There are many more low-wattage air purifiers out there as well. We have only provided a small selection.
If the air purifier consumes more than the above, especially those that consume more than 130W, you may notice the difference in your electricity bill. Among the highest electricity-consuming air purifiers you might want to avoid are IQ Air Health Pro Plus (215W) and Dyson HP04 (up to 600W).
Other Considerations
Wattage is not the only consideration when buying an air purifier.
The same brand can have more than one model. Always check the wattage, not the brand. Also, a low-wattage air purifier may mean you will have to compromise on quality and features.
A better approach could be to strike the right balance between saving electricity by buying an energy-efficient air purifier and having acceptable quality and desirable features. Also, a higher wattage rating may be necessary for an air purifier to be powerful enough to cover the area in which you use or will use it.
If electricity consumption is not a concern, consider things like appearance, quality, features, parts availability, service, etc. instead.
Saving Electricity When Using an Air Purifier
To save on the electricity used by an air purifier, you can do several things:
- Buy an energy-efficient or energy-star-certified air purifier model.
- Use the air purifier for a limited number of hours instead of letting it run all day.
- Turn the air purifier’s fan setting to a slower setting.
- Replace the air filter regularly, so the air purifier does not have to overwork.
- Turn the air purifier off instead of leaving it on standby for long periods.
Wrapping Up
The main determinants to know how much electricity your air purifier uses are its wattage rating and how long you use it. We also showed you how to calculate the exact cost of electricity and ways to save electricity when using an air purifier. If you want one, we advise buying an energy-efficient model, but also consider other things like quality and the features you might need.
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