Explained: How Much Electricity Does a Treadmill Use in 2023?

How Much Electricity Does a Treadmill Use? Whether you’re calculating the electricity cost of a treadmill or looking for an eco-friendly way to exercise, figuring out the electricity cost of a treadmill can be essential. 

Most treadmills use between 600 to 700 watts of energy, which is the equivalent of about 50 lightbulbs.

Of course, there are a lot of factors that go into how much electricity a treadmill uses. Each model will use a different amount of electricity. Often, you can find the exact amount of electricity used listed on the product. However, companies are not required to release this information, so many do not include it. 

Furthermore, the faster you run on the treadmill, the more power it will use. Obviously, the machine will turn the belt faster at higher settings, which will require the machine to use more energy. 

Plus, the more weight on the belt, the more power the machine uses. You should never exceed the weight limit of the treadmill, as this may make the motor work a bit too hard. 

Older machines tend to use more energy as well. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the parts start to wear out and require more energy to move. Some of this can be offset by changing out important parts, like the belt. 

Secondly, your treadmill will get dirty just like everything else. This collection of dust and dirt causes more friction, requiring the motor to work harder. Vacuuming your machine regularly can go a long way to reducing this issue, though. 

To learn everything you need to know about your machine’s electricity uses, keep reading below.

How Much Does a Treadmill Add to Your Electric Bill?

In many cases, your treadmill won’t add that much extra money to your electricity bill. You can expect an average of about $5 a year, which is honestly very little. Of course, this cost does vary widely depending on many factors. 

For instance, if you use your treadmill daily, you’ll likely have to pay more than someone who only uses it once a week. The length of the workouts also matters. Short, intense workouts will actually use less energy than longer, less intense workouts. 

How much electricity costs in your area also matters. While cost doesn’t vary much in the United States, even a few cents can add up over the years. 

Generally, you shouldn’t have to worry about paying much for electricity when using your treadmill. While the treadmill is a big machine, it doesn’t really use that much electricity. 

FAQs Of How Much Electricity Does a Treadmill Use

Should I Unplug My Treadmill When Not in Use?

For your treadmill’s protection, it is best to unplug the treadmill after each use. If there is a power surge, unplugging your treadmill will protect it – since the electricity will be unable to reach the actual treadmill. 

With that said, a grounding prong or surge protection is often enough to prevent damage to the treadmill. If you don’t have these things, unplugging your treadmill is essential (and we would recommend getting a surge protector as quickly as possible). 

If you do have a grounding prong or surge protector, unplugging your treadmill may seem a bit redundant. However, it is always better to be safe rather than sorry. 

Can I Plug My Treadmill Into a Regular Outlet?

For the most part, it depends on what voltage your treadmill requires. Generally speaking, most American homes are equipped with 120-volt outlets. With that said, these outlets are compatible with anything from 110- to 120-volts. 

Therefore, any treadmill that falls into this range will work in a regular outlet. Luckily, this category includes most treadmills. 

However, if you’re concerned about where to plug your treadmill in, you should ensure that you purchase one in the 110- to the 120-volt range. Otherwise, you may have to call an electrician to install an outlet that works for your treadmill – which can cost quite a bit of money. 

In most cases, you’ll be able to plug your treadmill directly into an outlet without an issue. 

Do Electric Treadmills Use a Lot of Electricity? 

It depends on what you mean by a lot of electricity. Compared to something like a cell phone or a toaster, they do utilize a lot of electricity. After all, they are large machines that make a lot of movement – the only way to accomplish that is to use a lot of electricity. 

However, when compared to things like cars, they don’t actually require that much power. For instance, your average treadmill will use 1% of the energy that a car will. When you put it in those terms, this amount of electricity is very small!

With that said, treadmills are the biggest electricity-sucking exercise devices out there. If you’re looking for a more eco-friendly option, then you should absolutely consider something else instead. 

The one exception to this rule is self-powered treadmills. These treadmills don’t use any electricity at all. However, they are rarer and often not as “fancy” as other options out there. 

Can I Plug My Treadmill Into a Power Strip?

Occasionally, you may find that your treadmill’s power cord may not reach the outlet – or maybe you just want to plug many devices into the same outlet. Whatever the reason, you should generally avoid using power strips when at all possible. 

Treadmills require a lot of power, so you shouldn’t plug any other devices into the outlet they are using. Otherwise, you may trip a breaker or cause your treadmill to malfunction due to a lack of power. 

For this reason, using a power strip is often not recommended. You should plug your treadmill directly into the outlet and only your treadmill. Don’t even charge your phone from the same outlet, as you may damage one of your devices. 

Can a Treadmill be Plugged Into an Extension Cord?

Sometimes, you may consider using an extension cord when your treadmill’s cord is out of reach of the outlet. While this does improve the reach of the cord, you could end up with other problems. 

The further electricity has to travel out of the wall, the more power it loses. In many cases, this isn’t a huge deal because the device doesn’t need that much power to begin with. When you’re charging your phone or using a hairdryer, it isn’t a huge deal. 

However, treadmills require a lot of power. Therefore, you should avoid using extension cords with them. If you do this, your treadmill may end up not getting enough power. It may not turn on at all, or it may stop suddenly during a workout. 

In some cases, error messages may occur. 

Plus, you may trip a breaker as the outlet tries to produce more electricity than it is able to. 

While some machines may work on an extension cord, it is often best not to count on it. As the machine ages, it will require more energy to get things moving. Eventually, this may cause it to stop working with an extension cord, even if the machine worked just fine with one before.  

Conclusion

Most treadmills use electricity. While they do use quite a bit of energy compared to other pieces of exercise equipment, they don’t use tons when compared to larger machines. For instance, treadmills only use 1% of the energy a car uses in a year. 

For this reason, they don’t typically raise your electricity bill all that much. On average, you can expect to pay about $5 more dollars a year for the average use of a treadmill. For the most part, this cost isn’t substantial in the least. 

Treadmills are not compatible with all outlets. Therefore, you may need to get a different outlet installed in your home for the treadmill to work properly. Be sure to check before you purchase a treadmill, as you can often avoid this issue if you choose the correct treadmill.