Sauna and Steam Shower Running Costs: What Each Session Costs in 2026
At the Ofgem price cap of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026, sauna running costs come to pence per session for infrared and about a pound for a traditional sauna. Thirty minutes in a plug-in Vidalux infrared sauna costs no more than 40p, and an hour in a traditional sauna with a 4.5kW heater about £1.18. A 15-minute session in a steam shower with a 2.8kW generator costs about 18p.
Those are full-power ceilings. Sauna heaters and steam generators switch on and off once they reach temperature, so a real session usually costs a little less. Put your own figures into the calculator above, or read on for the sum worked through on real Vidalux models.
How do you work out the running cost?
Multiply the power in kilowatts (kW) by the hours it runs, then by your unit rate in pence per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The answer is the most that session can cost.
kW × hours × pence per kWh = cost
Product pages list power in watts, so divide by 1,000: 2,300 watts is 2.3kW. Time goes in as hours, so 30 minutes is 0.5 and 15 minutes is 0.25.
Your unit rate is printed on your electricity bill. According to Ofgem’s energy price cap figures, the average capped rate for households paying by Direct Debit in England, Scotland and Wales is 26.32p per kWh from 1 October to 31 December 2026. Every example on this page uses that rate, so swap in your own if yours is different.
Think of the kW rating as how fast your meter turns while the heater is on. The hours tell you how long it turns for, and the unit rate tells you what each turn costs.
What about the standing charge?
Leave it out. You pay the daily standing charge whether or not anything is switched on, so a sauna or steam shower doesn’t change it.
How much does a sauna cost to run?
A 30-minute session in a plug-in Vidalux infrared sauna costs between about 20p and 40p at full power. A traditional sauna costs more, roughly 99p for a 20-minute warm-up and a 30-minute session on a 4.5kW heater.
Infrared saunas
Every plug-in infrared sauna in the Vidalux range is rated under 3,000 watts. That puts a firm ceiling on a session: 3kW × 0.5 hours × 26.32p is 39p, so half an hour costs less than 40p whichever of these models you choose.
The smaller cabins come in well under that. The Solara 1 Person uses 1,850 watts, about 24p for 30 minutes at full output. The Solara 2 Person Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna is rated at 2,300 watts, or about 30p for the same half hour. The Platinum 4 Person, at 2,650 watts, comes to about 35p.
The larger hardwired infrared cabins draw more. The Solara 4 Person is rated at 3,420 watts and the Premier 4 Person at 3,500 watts, about 45p and 46p for 30 minutes, or 90p and 92p for an hour. The Solara 4-5 Person Bench, at 3,550 watts, comes to about 47p for 30 minutes, or 93p for an hour.
Do the heaters run at full power the whole time?
No. Once the cabin reaches the temperature you’ve set, the thermostat switches the heaters off and back on to hold it, the way a central heating boiler does. Every Vidalux infrared and hybrid sauna also has a dial that sets heater output anywhere from 20% to 100%, and the wattage in the sum is the 100% figure.
Traditional saunas
A traditional sauna heats the air and the stones with a stove, typically to 70°C to 85°C, so it draws more power and needs a warm-up before you sit down.
The 3 Person Klassikko Traditional Sauna and the 2 Person Nordic both use a 4.5kW heater. Allow 20 minutes to warm up and the stove uses up to 1.5kWh, about 39p. A 30-minute session adds up to 2.25kWh, about 59p, so the ceiling for warm-up and session together is roughly 99p. The 4 Person Nordic, with a 6kW heater, comes to about £1.32 on the same timings.
Vidalux’s traditional heaters typically reach temperature in as little as around 15 minutes. The 20 minutes above is an allowance for the sum, and a cold or unheated room will add time to the warm-up.
A hybrid sauna can cost either way. Its stove and its infrared heaters are used one at a time, never together, so work out the cost with the wattage of whichever you’re running. Our guide to how infrared and traditional saunas differ covers what each one is like to use.
What does a sauna add to a monthly bill?
Four 30-minute sessions a week in the Solara 2 Person come to no more than about £4.84 every four weeks at the October 2026 rate. The same session every day, 30 a month, tops out at about £9.08 before warm-up.
Daily use of the 3 Person Klassikko, with a 20-minute warm-up each time, has a ceiling of about £29.61 a month. On a multi-rate tariff such as Economy 7, sessions in the off-peak window cost your off-peak rate, so put that figure into the sum instead.
Does plug-in or hardwired change the cost?
No. The running cost still comes down to wattage, time and unit rate. The connection only changes the installation: most smaller infrared cabins plug into a standard socket, while every traditional and hybrid sauna, and the larger infrared models, are hardwired by a Part P certified electrician. Each product page says which applies.
How much does a steam shower cost to run?
A 15-minute steam session in a Vidalux steam shower with a 2.8kW generator costs about 18p at the October 2026 rate. The real figure is usually a little lower, because the generator cycles once the cabin is up to temperature.
The Fusion Steam 1200 has a 2.8kW FastStart steam generator, so 15 minutes works out at 2.8kW × 0.25 hours × 26.32p, or 18.4p.
Fifteen minutes is the longest steam session Vidalux advises on every steam shower, and newcomers are best starting at five to ten. The generator is built for short bursts, and keeping to 15 minutes lets it cool between uses.
Three sessions a week comes to 156 a year, or about £29 in electricity for the steam. Showering afterwards uses your normal hot water, as any shower does, and our comparison of steam shower and bath costs covers that side.
But what about a steam room?
A dedicated steam room needs a bigger generator, and Vidalux steam room generators run from 3kW up to 15kW, matched to the size of the room. A 6kW generator costs about 39p for the same 15 minutes. The right size depends on the room, so start with the steam generator sizing calculator and then run the sum on the size it suggests.
How much does a whirlpool bath cost to run?
A 1HP whirlpool pump costs about 10p for a 30-minute soak. One horsepower is roughly 0.75kW, so the sum is 0.75kW × 0.5 hours × 26.32p.
Deluxe versions, such as the WB35 Deluxe, add an inline heater that keeps the water warm while you soak; it isn’t designed to heat a cold bath. Vidalux’s whirlpool guidance rates it at 1.5kW, which brings a 30-minute soak with pump and heater to about 30p, a couple of pence more if the air spa pump runs too. Check the rating plate or manual on your own bath for its exact figures.
The biggest cost of any bath is the hot water itself, which comes from your boiler or cylinder, so it isn’t included here.
Sauna and steam shower running costs at a glance
All figures at 26.32p per kWh, at full power for the whole time. Heaters and steam generators cycle once hot, so real costs are usually a little lower.
| Product | Rating | Time | Units (kWh) | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solara 1 Person infrared sauna | 1.85kW | 30 minutes | 0.93 | 24p |
| Solara 2 Person infrared sauna | 2.3kW | 30 minutes | 1.15 | 30p |
| Any plug-in Vidalux infrared sauna | under 3kW | 30 minutes | under 1.5 | under 40p |
| Premier 4 Person infrared sauna | 3.5kW | 1 hour | 3.5 | 92p |
| Solara 4-5 Person Bench infrared sauna | 3.55kW | 1 hour | 3.55 | 93p |
| 3 Person Klassikko or 2 Person Nordic | 4.5kW | 20-minute warm-up and 30 minutes | 3.75 | 99p |
| 4 Person Nordic traditional sauna | 6kW | 1 hour | 6 | £1.58 |
| Fusion Steam 1200 steam shower | 2.8kW | 15 minutes | 0.7 | 18p |
| 6kW steam room generator | 6kW | 15 minutes | 1.5 | 39p |
| Whirlpool bath, 1HP pump | about 0.75kW | 30 minutes | about 0.38 | 10p |
| Deluxe whirlpool, pump and inline heater (air spa pump not included) | about 2.25kW | 30 minutes | about 1.13 | 30p |
To use your own tariff, multiply the Units column by your unit rate in pence, or use the calculator at the top of this page.
Choosing with running costs in mind
For most homes, an infrared or steam session costs pence and a traditional sauna about a pound, and the sum lets you check that against your own bill before you buy. More planning advice sits in our sauna guides.
Most product pages in the home sauna range list the wattage or heater power, so you can run the numbers for the exact model you have in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
- About the Author
- UK’s best-rated?
With over 22 years in the home spa industry, Andrew has overseen every stage of the journey—from initial product design and manufacturing to final installation. An author of multiple technical publications and scientific papers, he founded Vidalux to replace industry hype with engineering-led reliability. His focus remains on delivering gym-quality wellness through honest design and technical truth.
DISCLAIMER: All specifications, claims, and advice relating to any internal or external procedure, practice, product, or service were true at the time of writing. For more accurate and up-to-date details in relation to Vidalux services, please visit the relevant dedicated on-site page. For any product-related information, specifications, or guidance, the information on the product page should be considered the governing source.
