How much electricity does an air purifier use? Running cost in India

By the BYM Electronics team · Updated 07 October 2026

How to work it out

Units per month = watts × hours per day × 30 ÷ 1000. A 27 W purifier running 24 hours a day uses 27 × 24 × 30 ÷ 1000 = 19.4 units a month. Multiply the units by your rate per unit to get the cost.

Model by model

This table assumes the worst case: maximum speed, 24 hours a day, 30 days. Cost is shown for Delhi's domestic energy charge, which runs from ₹3 per unit in the lowest slab to ₹8 in the highest, before fixed charges, surcharges and any subsidy.

Rated power is the brand's figure for each model. Models without a published wattage in our listing are left out.

How that compares

• A ceiling fan typically draws around 50 to 75 W, so most purifiers use less than the fan above them.
• A 1.5-ton split AC draws well over 1,000 W while cooling, dozens of times more than a purifier.

The cost that matters more: filters

Over a few years the replacement filter costs more than the electricity. Most filters need changing about once a year in Indian cities, sooner if the purifier runs all day through a Delhi winter; some Philips filters are rated for up to three years. Check the filter price for your model before you buy. See our filter guide and the filters we stock.

Ways to keep the bill low

• Use auto mode: the fan slows down once the air is clean.
• Use sleep mode at night; it is quieter and uses the least power.
• Keep doors and windows shut so the purifier is not cleaning the whole neighbourhood.
• Clean the pre-filter regularly so the fan does not have to work harder.

Sources

• Delhi domestic electricity tariff slabs (BSES and Tata Power schedules, as summarised by Bridgeway Power, 2026)

Frequently asked questions