Question 1

What does a typical infrared sauna cost to run in the U.S.?

Accepted Answer

Using SaunaCost defaults (1,800 W, 30 minutes, four sessions a week, $0.1834/kWh, no heat-up): about $0.17 per session, $2.86 per month, and $34.33 per year. That is electricity only.

Question 2

What about a traditional electric sauna?

Accepted Answer

A 6 kW heater for 45 minutes is 4.5 kWh (~$0.83 at the default rate). Add a 30-minute heat-up at full power and you are at 7.5 kWh (~$1.38 per session, about $24/month at four sessions a week).

Question 3

Where should I read my electricity rate?

Accepted Answer

Use the energy or supply charge in $/kWh on a recent bill, not the whole-bill average that mixes in fixed fees. If you are on time-of-use, pick the period when you actually run the sauna, or a blended guess — SaunaCost is a single-rate model.

Question 4

How does heat-up change kWh?

Accepted Answer

Heat-up minutes are extra hours at the same kW. Ten minutes at 1,800 W is 0.30 kWh. Thirty minutes at 6 kW is 3.0 kWh. Toggle heat-up only if those minutes are real on your routine.

Question 5

How does purchase amortization work?

Accepted Answer

If you enter a purchase price and either ownership years or a lifetime session count, SaunaCost divides price by total sessions and reports that add-on per session. Year-1 total is year-1 electricity plus the purchase dollars allocated to that year. It is not a loan, tax, or resale model.

Question 6

Why don’t you apply a 70% duty cycle?

Accepted Answer

Duty cycle varies with insulation, setpoint, outdoor or garage placement, and controller firmware. A hidden 70% factor would look precise and be wrong for many rooms. Full nameplate is disclosed and easy to scale: multiply our kWh by your measured fraction.

Question 7

Does 120 V vs 240 V change the electricity cost?

Accepted Answer

Voltage is a circuit constraint, not a $/kWh discount. Energy is still kW × hours. A 240 V heater can be a higher kW appliance, which does raise kWh if you run it as rated.

Question 8

What if my rate is much higher than the U.S. average?

Accepted Answer

Type your rate. At 40¢/kWh the same 1,800 W / 30-minute session is $0.36, about $6.24 a month at four sessions a week. The 40¢ chip is an example, not a specific utility tariff.

Question 9

Can I share my exact inputs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The calculator writes watts, minutes, weekly sessions, rate, heat-up, and optional purchase fields into the URL. Copy the address; anyone opening it sees the same estimate.

Question 10

Do you claim infrared saunas save money by replacing medical care?

Accepted Answer

No. SaunaCost does not discuss efficacy, detox, or medical outcomes. The only comparison is electricity and optional purchase math.

Question 11

Can I use this to quote an OEM’s operating cost?

Accepted Answer

Not as an official figure. Use the model’s rating plate and your tariff, and treat the result as an independent estimate. SaunaCost is not affiliated with manufacturers or dealers.

Question 12

When was the default rate last updated?

Accepted Answer

9 September 2026, using EIA June 2026 U.S. residential average revenue per kWh (18.34¢). The methodology page lists the formula set and sources.

Sauna electricity cost FAQ