How much does it cost to run an infrared home sauna in Ireland in 2024

TL;DR: As of 1th Feb 2024, on average, it may cost you €0.76 per hour to run an infrared two-seater home sauna in Ireland.

Not too bad, I suppose!

Factors to consider in calculating the cost:
The cost of running an infrared sauna can vary depending on several factors, such as:

1. The size of the home sauna
2. The type of heater used (not so much though)
3. Electricity rates in your area, and
4. How often do you use the sauna

1. The size of the home infrared sauna

Obviously, the bigger your infrared sauna is, the more heaters it will need to deliver desired temperatures. We could break it down to:

• 1 seater – would need around five small infrared heaters. They could be either quartz or carbon.
• 2 – 3-seater – would need up to 5-6 heaters, but their size would be bigger
• 4–6-seater – would be equipped with even more and larger heaters.

2. The type of heater used

There are many sauna heaters, with different costs and energy consumption.

• Quartz/Ceramic heaters: These heaters use a quartz lamp to produce infrared heat. They are also known as ” Full Spectrum”They are known for their durability and ability to provide consistent heat.
• Carbon heaters:  These heaters use carbon fibres or carbon panels to emit infrared heat. They are known for their ability to heat up quickly and provide nice, gentle heat.

Both types have different electricity consumption, but don’t forget; you might need bigger heaters to provide more heat in a larger unit. Let’s take, for example, a standard 1-2 seater 120cm x 100cm home infrared sauna below.

The above model is equipped with five full Spectrum quartz heaters.
Each will be 300 watts, so the total wattage of this unit is around 1500 Watts or 1.5KW.

To compare a similar model of the same size, 120 cm x 100 cm, but with carbon heaters, you will notice that the carbon heaters are much larger than the quartz heaters.

It has 5 x Carbon Panels, 1 x Carbon Floor Panel
Note that the inside is FILLED with heaters, even though the unit size is the same. This means that to heat up the same size, you will need more carbon “coverage” compared to the full-spectrum quartz heaters. This particular unit has a total wattage of 1.86KW, a bit higher than the quartz model above.

Points being:

Carbon heaters are not more energy efficient than the quartz heaters. We simply need more of them!

It takes around 1.5-1.8KW to heat up a 120cm x 100 cm 1-2 seater infrared sauna.

The bigger saunas will have more heaters. To see the total wattage of your unit, please refer to the sauna’s specifications. The rating for a specific heater is stated on a label, typically attached close to the power wire or in the specification booklet with the sauna. Look at the spec and calculate the total wattage of your infrared sauna unit. With a typical 1-2 seater, five quartz or carbon heaters, it should be around 1.5KW – 1.8KW

so… to calculate the total cost of running a sauna, we will need to look at the following:

1. The type and number of heaters and their total KW size (we got this already)
2. Electricity price per kWh* (standard unit of energy). Look at your electricity bill, and please try not to get pissed off!
3. The total time the sauna is on per month. How many hours do you have it on per month?

*kWh stands for Kilo Watt Hour and means: If an 1KW appliance runs for 1 hour, it will take 1kWh of energy.

I have put together a quick table to show you how much it would cost to run a 1-2-seater sauna with 1.5 KW heater power.

The prices as per https://www.bonkers.ie/compare-gas-electricity-prices/ as of 1^st Feb 2023

So it turns out that a standard 1.5KW two-seater would cost you around €23 per month

if you used it with no fail every day of the month.

Are you surprised?

For better estimation, please use the calculator below

Just to compare, a few other household appliances that would need to run for a similar period

Kitchen Oven (this thing is always on!)
The standard power range for kitchen ovens typically falls between 2,000 and 5,000 watts, but it can vary based on the specific model and make of the oven. It’s important to check the specifications of your oven to determine its exact wattage, as this can impact cooking times and energy usage.

Washing Machine (often on with cycles of 45min)
The standard power consumption of a washing machine ranges between 500 and 1500 watts, depending on the type and model. It’s important to check the specifications of your washing machine to determine its exact power consumption. Keep in mind that factors such as spin speed, cycle length, and temperature can also affect the energy consumption of a washing machine.

Dishwasher (on for hours in my house!)
The standard power consumption of a dishwasher ranges between 1200 and 2400 watts, depending on the type and model. It’s important to check the specifications of your dishwasher to determine its exact power consumption. Keep in mind that factors such as cycle length, water temperature, and use of heating elements can also affect the energy consumption of a dishwasher.

Points to take away

Standard-size infrared home saunas are not as expensive as people might think.
We already run appliances that are much more energy greedy. Infrared saunas plug into a standard 220V and take less power than most kitchen ovens.

Carbon heaters are not more energy efficient vs quartz.
Please feel free to do more research on this, but we simply showed that although carbon heaters are less energy needed per unit, we need more of them to heat the same size. Usage-wise, there is not much difference.

Are you thinking of getting one?