Do Electric Lawn Mowers Use A Lot Of Electricity (UK)?

With the cost of living continuing to rise, I don’t blame you if you want to reduce your energy spend as much as possible.

Whether you’re shopping for a new lawn mower or you’re curious about your current electric mower’s performance, you might be wondering how much an electric lawn mower contributes to your electricity usage per year.

Here, I’ve explained everything you should know about an electric mower’s electricity usage.

✅ Key Takeaways:

Electric lawn mowers use around 1,200-1,800 watts of electricity per hour.
How much power a lawn mower uses depends on its size, age and energy efficiency, whether it’s a hover or wheeled mower, and the mowing environment.
Electric mowers are cheaper to run than petrol mower models, but use slightly more power than cordless mowers.

⚡️ How Much Electricity Does An Electric Lawn Mower Use?

On average, an electric lawn mower uses between 1,200 and 1,800 watts of electricity per hour.

You can learn about an electric mower’s wattage in the product description online or in the mower’s user manual.

In the table below, I’ve shared the average electricity usage and hourly running cost for electric mowers of different sizes:

Mower Cutting Width	Wattage	Hourly Running Cost
26-28cm	800-1,200	15-23p/hour
30-32cm	1,000-1,400	18-28p/hour
34-36cm	1,350-1,500	23-35p/hour
38-40cm	1,500-1,800	35-50p/hour
42-46cm	1,600-1,800	37-50p/hour

Note: This table is based on our estimates of mower and engine size/wattage to hourly running cost, but actual running costs may vary depending on the factors listed below.

I’ve shared a good way to get an accurate reading of your electric mower’s running cost later in this guide.

➗ Factors Affecting Electric Lawn Mower Electricity Usage

The amount of electricity that a lawn mower uses depends on a few factors, including:

📐 Mower Size

The size of your mower is the biggest determiner of how much electricity it uses.

The bigger the mower, the bigger its engine size. Smaller mowers with a 26-30cm cutting deck have a lower wattage of 1,000-1,400 watts, while bigger mowers with 38-42+cm cutting decks have a higher wattage of up to 1,800 watts or higher.

Large mowers designed for cutting larger lawns use more electricity because they have more ground to cover and a bigger portion of grass to cut with their blades, so the motor needs to be powerful enough for the job.

♻️ Mower Age & Energy Efficiency

Another factor affecting a mower’s electricity use is the mower’s age and energy efficiency.

Older electric lawnmower models, like all old electrical appliances, aren’t designed with the same efficient performance features as new mowers.

An older traditional mower is likely to use up to 30% more electricity than a modern, energy-efficient electric mower.

✂️ Mower Type

The type of corded electric mower you own will also play a role in its wattage and electricity usage.

Hover mowers typically have a higher wattage than comparably sized wheeled mowers because they need additional electricity to power the fans that lift the mower deck off the floor.

Even the smallest hover mowers typically use 1,600-1,800 watts of electricity, while the smallest wheeled mowers may use only 1,200 watts or less.

📆 Mowing Frequency

The number of times you mow throughout the grass growing season will determine your mower’s overall electricity usage.

The more often you get your mower out, the more electricity you’ll use overall.

Only mow your grass when you need to. If you want to conserve your energy usage, there’s no point in mowing your lawn until your grass is at least 5cm tall.

🏞 Mowing Environment

Your mowing environment will also affect your mower’s electricity usage.

If your garden regularly resembles a mini jungle, you’ll put more strain on your mower’s motor to cut your grass, resulting in the mower being used to its maximum capabilities and draining more electricity as a result.

On the other end, if you mow your grass at a manageable height and your lawn isn’t too thick or overgrown, your mower should use less electricity in a mowing session.

💰 Electric Lawn Mower Average Electricity Costs

The average cost of running an electric mower is 15 to 50 pence per hour, depending on the mower size and how much power it uses.

So, if you have a small-to-medium lawn that takes around half an hour to mow, the entire job should cost you only pennies.

You can find out exactly how much your lawn mower costs to run if you have a smart meter.

Switch off all your other electricity-using appliances, then make a note of the current recorded energy usage, and the current total cost of electricity, on the meter.

Then, plug in your mower and mow your lawn.

Once you’ve finished, take another look at the smart meter. It should have a new energy usage recording and an updated total electricity cost. Subtract the original electricity cost from the current cost to work out how much money you spent on mowing your lawn.

The table below shows the average hourly electric lawn mower costs compared to the average hourly costs of other common electric appliances.

Appliance Type	Average Hourly Cost
Electric Mowers	15-50p
Microwave	45-52p
Vacuum Cleaner	15-34p
Washing Machine	49p-£1.09
Fridge	>5p

🔌 So, Do Electric Lawn Mowers Use A Lot Of Electricity?

It’s safe to say that corded electric mowers do not use a lot of electricity.

You shouldn’t notice a significant increase in your energy bill after purchasing an electric mower, especially since you’ll probably only get the mower out once a week in the peak season at most.

However, these mowers still use slightly more power than mowers with battery technology (see below).

🛢 Electric Lawn Mowers Vs Other Lawn Mower Power Types

Now you know about the average electricity usage of an electric lawn mower, how does this mower compare to other lawn mower power types?

Here’s what you should know:

Electric mowers are cheaper to run and use less energy overall than petrol mower models.
A corded electric mower is slightly more expensive to run than a battery lawnmower.

The reality is that almost every type of lawn mower costs money to operate. Battery-powered mowers (both push mowers and robotic mowers) cost money because they need electricity to charge their batteries, while petrol mowers have fuel and servicing costs.

The only mower power type that costs no money to run is a manual mower. Manual cylinder mowers are people-powered, so they don’t contain a motor that’s powered by electricity or petrol.

Electric (Battery) Rotary Mower

Petrol Cylinder Mower

🏁 Final Word

Electric push mowers are a great choice if you want to keep your operating costs low.

How much energy and power an electric mower uses depends on a few factors, including the mower’s age and size, and your cutting situation.

Newer models are energy efficient, providing enough power to effectively cut your grass without unnecessarily wasting electricity.

Ready to start shopping? Check out our guide to the best corded electric mowers in the UK.

❓ FAQ

🗓 How much do electric mowers cost to run per year?

On average, an electric push mower costs between £1.80 and £6 to run per year, assuming that you spend up to 12 hours in total mowing your lawn throughout an entire season. The more frequently you mow your grass, and the longer the job takes, the more power you’ll use per year and the higher your annual running costs.

💳 Do electric lawn mowers save money?

Yes, electric lawn mowers save money compared to petrol mowers because the cost of electricity is significantly cheaper than fuel prices. So, you’ll spend less money per year on your mower if you switch from a petrol mower to an electric mower.

💵 How does the cost of running an electric lawn mower compare to other electricity costs?

The hourly cost of running an electric lawn mower is about the same as the hourly cost of a microwave or a vacuum cleaner, and is cheaper on average than running a washing machine.