How Much Does It Cost To Operate a Sauna?

Does it make financial sense for you to add a sauna to your business? Let’s look at the costs so you can make an informed decision.

How Much Does It Cost To Run A Sauna?

How much it costs to run a sauna depends on several factors, including:

• The sauna’s size
• Whether you choose a traditional or infrared sauna
• The type of heater your sauna uses
• How much your utility company charges for electricity
• How many hours you run the sauna

Cost of Electricity

If you want to run a large sauna with a 10.5kw heater 12 hours per day in a place where electricity costs $0.125 per kWh, you can expect to spend about $517 per day.

A much smaller 4.5kw heater run for the same amount of time in the same place will cost about $220 per day.

An infrared sauna will likely cost much less to run. A six-person sauna running 12 hours per day will cost about $86.

Infrared saunas use less energy and create less ambient heat because they use infrared light to heat the user’s body. Traditional saunas heat the air to create a warm, moist environment for users to enjoy. While the traditional design has some benefits, it costs much more to operate.

Other Costs of Running a Sauna

Electricity is the largest cost associated with running a sauna. You will encounter other costs over time, though. Expect to pay for:

• Replacement parts
• Maintenance
• Cleaning
• Insurance

The price of your insurance policy might also go up slightly when you install a sauna in your business. It’s a good idea to talk to your insurance policy provider to get an estimate before purchasing a sauna.

Your current policy might already cover your needs. Only your insurance company can answer that question, so reach out to your representative for an accurate answer.

Do Saunas Use a Lot of Electricity?

Some saunas use a lot of electricity, but you can take steps to limit the amount of energy they consume. If you are concerned about energy costs, consider buying an infrared sauna. They use significantly less power than traditional saunas.

You can also decrease the amount of electricity your sauna consumes by choosing a model that includes a timer. Alternatively, you could add a timer to a model that doesn’t come with one.

Adding a timer means that your sauna only generates heat when someone wants to use it. You won’t need to leave the sauna running throughout your business hours. Instead, users can choose how many minutes they expect to sit in the sauna. The timer will turn off the sauna automatically.

Is It Expensive To Own a Sauna?

The largest expense of owning a sauna is buying the equipment and having it installed. Expect a six-person infrared sauna to cost $6,000 to $15,000.

You can get smaller models for much less, though. Many four-person saunas cost less than $4,000. Installation typically costs about $1,000, although prices can vary depending quite a bit depending on your area and the type of sauna you buy.

Eventually, you will need to replace parts of your sauna that wear out. You shouldn’t need to replace parts often, but it will happen. Given enough time, the sauna’s heating element will fail. You probably won’t need to replace it for several years, though.

You might also need to buy replacement parts for the sauna’s interior. Sauna interiors are designed to withstand heat and moisture. Regardless, the materials can get damaged over time. At some point, you might notice that the interior’s color has faded. Although it isn’t essential, you might choose to replace these parts to improve the customer’s experience.

How Much Does It Cost To Run a Sauna For 1 Hour?

The cost of running a sauna for one hour will depend on the sauna’s size and the price of electricity in your area. The price of electricity varies by area and season. On average, commercial utility customers in the United States pay about $0.14 per kWh. A business in Hawaii, however, will pay much more than a business in the Midwest.

Hawaii has the highest electricity prices in the U.S., averaging over $0.34 per kWh. Idaho has some of the lowest prices, with an average around $0.10 per kWh.

Using these numbers, you can expect a 10.5 kW sauna to cost about $108 per hour to run in Hawaii and about $32 per hour in Idaho. Of course, these are extremes that represent the highest and lowest costs of running a large sauna. Your real-world cost will likely fall somewhere between those numbers.

If you don’t know how much your utility provider charges commercial clients, contact them to get an estimate. What you learn could influence whether you decide to purchase a sauna. It could also influence the type or size of sauna you buy.

What Are The Disadvantages of Owning a Sauna?

Saunas might attract health-conscious customers and members to your wellness business.

There are some potential disadvantages to owning a sauna, though. Some of these include:

• A high investment to purchase the equipment and have it installed
• Training employees to clean the sauna properly
• Paying for ongoing maintenance services
• The cost of running the sauna

It’s also possible that people won’t use the sauna as much as you expect. Will you get a positive return on your investment? Survey current members to determine whether they’re interested in using saunas.

You could also help offset the cost of your investment by charging a sauna membership fee or charging for the amount of time each person uses the sauna.

How Much Does It Cost To Operate a Sauna?

The amount that it costs to operate a sauna depends on several factors, including the type of sauna you buy, the size of the sauna, your utility provider’s electricity prices, and how often people use it.

Typically, you can expect a traditional sauna to cost at least $20 per hour. An infrared sauna will cost about half that.

How Much Money Can I Make Running a Sauna?

Plenty of businesses make money by running saunas. Let’s say you charge $30 per half-hour. Even with a medium-sized traditional sauna, you will only spend $10 running the sauna during that time. With an infrared sauna, you will only spend about $5.

You can potentially increase the amount of money you make running a sauna by choosing an infrared model that doesn’t use much electricity. A timer that automatically turns the sauna on and off will also help control costs without negatively affecting how much revenue you generate.

When managed carefully, your business could make $60 or more per hour from a small sauna. The more people you have using it, the more revenue you will generate.