How much does it cost to run a sauna in Ireland?

Running costs by sauna

At 40.64c per kWh, the Irish average in October 2026. Assumes the heater is on full power while warming up, then on for all of the session for infrared and half of it for traditional. Use your own figures.

Infrared heater ratings are published figures: 1.4 kW for a 1-person cabin and 3.36 kW for a 4-person cabin from one seller, and 2.4 kW for another seller's largest plug-in model. Traditional heaters for home saunas are commonly 4 to 6 kW for small cabins and 8 to 10 kW for 4 to 5 people.

How to work it out

A heater uses its rated power for every hour it's on. So the sum is:

kW × hours the heater is on × your price per kWh

Take a traditional sauna with a 6 kW heater. It's on full power for 40 minutes to warm up (6 × 0.67 = 4 kWh), then on about half the time during a 45-minute session (6 × 0.75 × 0.5 = 2.25 kWh). That's 6.25 kWh, which at 40.64c comes to €2.54.

These are estimates. A cold garden sauna in January takes longer to heat than an indoor cabin in a warm house, and a well-insulated sauna holds its heat with the heater on less.

Why traditional costs more

• A bigger heater. 6 to 9 kW against 1.4 to 3.4 kW for infrared.
• A longer warm-up. A traditional sauna heats the air and stones to a much higher temperature, usually in 20 to 45 minutes. Infrared panels warm you directly and take about 15 to 25 minutes.
• More space to heat. Garden saunas for 4 to 6 people have more air, and lose more heat through the walls in cold weather.

Infrared is cheaper to run, but it isn't the same experience. See infrared vs traditional.

Wood-fired saunas

A wood-burning stove uses no electricity for heat, so your cost is firewood. Kiln-dried hardwood sells for about €5 a bag from one Irish supplier. How many bags a session uses depends on the stove, the size of the sauna and the weather, so keep track of your first few sessions to find your own figure. See wood-fired vs electric.

Cutting the cost

• Use a cheaper rate. On a day and night or smart tariff, a sauna used in cheaper hours costs less.
• Don't over-heat. Turning the thermostat down shortens the warm-up and cuts how often the heater comes on.
• Size it right. A heater matched to the room heats it faster. See what size sauna.
• Insulate and close up. Keep the door shut while it heats, and choose a well-insulated garden sauna for year-round use.