Do Electric Wax Melt Burners Use a Lot of Electricity?
Do wax melt burners use a lot of electricity? The quick answer
No. Our electric wax melt burners use a bulb of between 15w and 40w. Based on the Ofgem price cap of about 26.3p per kWh for October to December 2026, that's roughly 0.4p to 1.1p an hour, around 1.6p to 4.2p for a 4-hour evening and about 47p to £1.26 a month if you use it for 4 hours every day. Tealight burners use no electricity at all.
If you're wondering how much electricity a wax burner uses, or whether electric wax burners are expensive to run, you're not alone. With energy bills on everyone's mind, it's natural to check the running costs before you buy an electric wax warmer. The good news is that an electric wax melt burner's running cost is very small. In this guide we explain the wattage of our electric wax burners, show you the maths so you can work out the cost on your own tariff, and compare electric and tealight burners.
What Is an Electric Wax Warmer?
An electric wax melt burner, also called a wax warmer or wax melter, uses a small bulb to gently warm your wax melts instead of a tealight flame. As the wax melts, it releases its fragrance into the room. We have two main styles:
- Electric wax burners with a cable and switch. These sit on a table or shelf like a small lamp, and many have a touch control or an on/off switch.
- Plug-in electric wax melt burners. These plug straight into a wall socket, which makes them handy for hallways, landings and bedrooms.
Whichever style you choose, they all work the same way, and it's the bulb that sets the running cost. Browse our electric wax burners UK range in the Electric Wax Melt Burners collection, or see our Plug-In Electric Wax Melt Burners.
Electric Wax Burner Wattage: How Much Power Do They Use?
So what bulbs do electric wax burners use? An electric wax burner's wattage is set by its bulb, and our burners take bulbs of between 15w and 40w:
- 25w bulbs. These are used in many of our electric and plug-in burners. 25w is the maximum for those burners.
- 40w bulbs. These are used in burners designed for a 40w bulb.
- E14 15w and 40w bulbs. These are small screw-in bulbs used in some plug-in and Edison-style burners.
Always check which wax melt burner electric bulb your burner takes, and never fit a higher wattage than it's designed for. If a bulb goes, you can pick up a replacement electric wax melt burner light bulb here:
- Electric Wax Burner Replacement Bulb 25w (£3.99)
- Electric Wax Burner Replacement Bulb 40w (£3.99)
- E14 15w Replacement Wax Warmer Bulb (£3.49)
- E14 40w Replacement Bulb for Edison Burners (£5.49)
To put that in perspective, a 40w burner draws the same power as an old-style 40w light bulb, and a typical 3kW kettle uses as much electricity in 3 minutes as a 25w burner does in 6 hours.
How Much Do Electric Wax Burners Cost to Run?
You can work out the cost to run a wax warmer with one simple sum:
watts ÷ 1,000 × hours used × unit rate = cost
We've used the Ofgem price cap average electricity unit rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. This is the average for Direct Debit customers on a standard variable tariff across England, Scotland and Wales (source: Ofgem). A "month" below means 30 days of 4 hours a day, which is 120 hours.
| Bulb | Per hour | Per 4-hour evening | Per month (4 hours a day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15w | 0.015 kWh × 26.32p = about 0.4p | 0.06 kWh = about 1.6p | 1.8 kWh = about 47p |
| 25w | 0.025 kWh × 26.32p = about 0.7p | 0.1 kWh = about 2.6p | 3 kWh = about 79p |
| 40w | 0.04 kWh × 26.32p = about 1.1p | 0.16 kWh = about 4.2p | 4.8 kWh = about £1.26 |
Worked example: a 25w burner used for a 4-hour evening is 25 ÷ 1,000 × 4 = 0.1 kWh. At 26.32p per kWh, that's 0.1 × 26.32 = about 2.6p.
These figures are estimates. Your own cost depends on your tariff, your region, whether you have a fixed deal, prepayment or Economy 7, and how long you leave the burner on. To use your own rate, swap 26.32p for the unit rate on your energy bill. The price cap changes every three months, so the figures will move a little over time. The daily standing charge is paid whether or not you use a burner, so it isn't included.
Are Electric Wax Burners Expensive to Run?
Not really. Even a 40w burner used every evening for a month comes to about 4.8 kWh. That's a small slice of a typical household's electricity use. Most of a wax melt burner's running cost is the wax itself rather than the electricity. Each wax melt piece gives up to 10 hours of scent, so a single snap bar goes a long way.
Wax Melt Burner: Electric or Candle?
Many people also ask whether to choose an electric wax melt burner or a tealight (candle) burner. Both melt the same wax melts, so it comes down to how you'd like to use it.
Electric wax melt burners
- No naked flame
- Steady, even heat from the bulb
- No tealights to replace, just the occasional bulb
- A running cost of about 0.4p to 1.1p an hour on the current price cap
- A soft glow from the bulb, handy as a night light in hallways and landings
Tealight wax melt burners
- Use no electricity at all
- No plug or socket needed, so you can place them anywhere stable
- Give a cosy candlelight glow
- Need a fresh tealight each time, and a lit tealight should never be left unattended
- Heat can vary a little depending on the tealight
Many customers keep an electric burner for everyday use and a tealight burner for cosy evenings. Browse our Tea Light Wax Burners, or see every style in our Wax Melt Burners collection. Not sure which tealights to use? Read what tea lights to use for your wax burner.
Where to Buy an Electric Wax Melt Burner in the UK
If you're looking for an electric wax warmer in the UK, we stock a wide range of electric and plug-in wax melt burners, including:
- Touch control electric wax melt burners, which work like a touch lamp
- Lustre glass plug-in burners and colour-changing electric burners
- Edison-style and lantern burners
- Ceramic electric wax melt burners and other decorative designs
- Gift-worthy statement pieces
Pair your burner with our soy wax melts, or pick four snap bars in our 4 for £12 wax melts offer. We offer free UK delivery on orders over £45.
Tips to Keep Running Costs Low
- Switch it off when you leave the room or go to bed. Electricity is only used while the bulb is on.
- Use the right bulb. Fit the wattage your burner is designed for, not a higher one.
- Don't overfill the dish. One or two pieces of wax melt is usually plenty.
- Place it centrally. A burner in a well-used room spreads the scent where you'll notice it, so you won't need it on as long.
- Clean the dish between scents. Old wax left in the dish dulls a new fragrance. To get rid of old wax melt from your burner, see our step-by-step guide to cleaning a wax melt burner.
Electric Wax Melt Burner FAQs
Do wax melt burners use a lot of electricity?
No. Our electric burners use a 15w to 40w bulb, which costs roughly 0.4p to 1.1p an hour based on the Ofgem price cap of about 26.3p per kWh for October to December 2026.
How much electricity does a wax burner use?
A wax burner or wax warmer uses its bulb's wattage for each hour it's on. A 25w burner uses 0.025 kWh an hour, so a 4-hour evening is 0.1 kWh.
How much does it cost to run a wax warmer for a month?
Used for 4 hours a day for 30 days, a 15w burner costs about 47p, a 25w burner about 79p and a 40w burner about £1.26, based on 26.32p per kWh. Your tariff may differ.
What bulbs do electric wax burners use?
Ours use 15w, 25w or 40w bulbs, depending on the burner. Check the product page or the old bulb before buying a replacement, and never fit a higher wattage than the burner is designed for.
Do plug-in wax burners use less electricity?
A plug-in burner uses the wattage of its bulb, just like any other electric burner. Many of ours take a 25w bulb, and some take an E14 15w bulb.
Do wax warmers use a lot of electricity?
No. Whether you call it a wax warmer, a wax melter or an electric wax melt burner, it uses no more power than its 15w to 40w bulb, which is a few pence for a whole evening.
Do tealight wax burners use electricity?
No. Tealight burners use the heat of a tealight, so they use no electricity at all. You'll just need a fresh tealight each time.
Can I leave an electric wax burner on all day?
We recommend switching it off when you leave the room, go out or go to sleep. It saves electricity, and your wax melts last longer too.
Why has my electric wax burner stopped melting the wax?
Often the bulb has blown. Check which bulb your burner takes, fit a matching replacement and make sure the burner is unplugged and cool before you change it.
The Final Answer
Electric wax melt burners don't use a lot of electricity. With a 15w to 40w bulb, they cost roughly 0.4p to 1.1p an hour on the current Ofgem price cap, which is a few pence for a whole evening of fragrance. If you'd rather use no electricity at all, a tealight burner is a lovely alternative.