Speed and incline
The motor's job is fighting friction under load. Steep incline walking can out-draw flat running; heavy users see higher figures than light users on the same machine.
Treadmill Cost per Hour
Updated July 2026 rate dataLiving & Major LoadsSourced from U.S. EIA — Electricity use in homes (end-use shares)
The motor works against friction, so belt speed, incline, and how much you weigh all raise the draw on the same machine — and standby electronics add a little more when it stays plugged in. Enter your wattage, hours per day, and state below.
Quick pick
EIA residential average, July 2026. Your utility's exact rate is on your bill.
900 W
300 W2,500 W
1 h
0.3 h4 h
Common setups
Live cost meter · running at your current settings
$0.00000
since you opened this page · 0:00 elapsed
0.90 kW · 0.0000 kWh burned
burn rate
$0.16/hr
24/7 ≈ $120/mo
Real-time math: 900 W × your state's rate, accumulating live.
Per hour
$0.16
Per day
$0.16
0.9 kWh
Per month
$5.01
27 kWh
Per year
$60
329 kWh
Run like this for a year and it adds about $60 to your electricity bill.
Draw rises with belt speed, incline, and runner weight — the motor works against friction. Figures here are typical measured ranges from review testing.
Energy: 0.9 kWh per day · 329 kWh per year, at 18.31¢/kWh (U.S. average).
How many watts does a treadmill use, and what does it cost to run?
Wattage is the number that decides everything else. The table below runs the actual figures through this page's calculator at the U.S. average rate of 18.31¢ /kWh, so you can see the running cost jump as the load climbs. Change any value above and the whole page recalculates.
| Watts | Power draw | Per hour | Per month (1 h/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 W | 300 W draws 0.30 kW | $0.055 | $1.67 |
| 1,035 W | 1,035 W draws 1.03 kW | $0.19 | $5.76 |
| 1,765 W | 1,765 W draws 1.76 kW | $0.32 | $9.83 |
| 2,500 W | 2,500 W draws 2.50 kW | $0.46 | $13.92 |
Basis: July 2026 U.S. average residential rate of 18.31¢ /kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A). Your state's rate is applied as soon as you pick it above.
What changes the number
Your weight
More mass to move means more motor torque — the same machine can draw meaningfully different power for different household members.
Standby draw
Consoles with screens and networking can idle at 3–8 W. On a rarely-used machine, standby can exceed workout energy over a year — use the master power switch.
Cut the cost
Biggest savings first.
- Use the machine's power switch or a switched smart plug when not in use.
- If you walk rather than run, a basic walking pad draws less and costs even less to run.
- For perspective: a gym membership's treadmill time costs more per hour than the electricity by roughly 100×.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a treadmill use per hour?
Typically 0.7–1.4 kWh per hour of use — $0.13–26 at the U.S. average rate (18.31¢/kWh), depending on speed, incline, and user weight.
How much does a treadmill cost per month?
Daily one-hour jogging sessions: about $5.20/month at the U.S. average rate. Even heavy daily use stays under $15/month.
Does a treadmill use a lot of electricity?
During workouts it draws serious watts (like a small space heater) but only for the session — total monthly cost is small. The silent cost is standby electronics on models left plugged in.
Sources
- U.S. EIA — Electricity use in homes (end-use shares)
- U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A — Average Price of Electricity by State
Rate basis: EIA residential average, July 2026 (retrieved from Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A). Estimates are for planning, not billing.
