Vacuum cleaners are typically rated for power in Watts (W) or Kilowatts (kW). 1kW = 1000 Watts.

In order to find out what you vacuum cleaner costs to run, look for it power rating. This is typically printed on the side of the machine or inside the user manual. Failing that you can try to find it from the product description on the manufacturer’s website or online retailers.

Use the calculator below to find out how much electricity your vacuum cleaner uses.

1. Enter the power rating in Watts or Kilowatts
2. Enter the number of hours you want to find the electricity consumption for. If you want to enter less than an hour you can enter it as a decimal (for example 30 minutes would be 0.5 hrs; 20 minutes would be 0.33 hours; 10 minutes would be 0.166; 5 minutes would be 0.083)
3. The unit cost of electricity is automatically set to £0.34 per kWh which is the UK Energy Price Guarantee (October 2022). You can change this rate/tariff as you need.

Vacuum Cleaner Electricity Usage Calculator

Power in Watts:
Power in KiloWatts:
Time (Hours):
Rate (cents/kWh):
Calculate Cost

A regular-sized domestic vacuum cleaner will typically be rated between 500 to 3000 watts at the very high end. Some of the best models are around 900 – 1200 watts though there are plenty of models with lower power ratings that still deliver a punch.

To get a vacuum cleaner with lower power consumption you’ll want to aim for those rated at around 600 to 800 watts. Energy efficient hoovers are becoming more widespread as people become increasingly concerned with doing their bit for the environment whilst also trying to reduce their energy bills.