An electric home hospital bed typically draws about 100–250 watts, but only while its motor is moving. With normal use (roughly 30 minutes of motor time a day), that adds up to about 3 kWh a month, which costs around 50 cents at an example rate of $0.17 per kWh. That is a tiny fraction of the roughly 899 kWh the average U.S. home uses each month.
If a doctor has just recommended a hospital bed for you or a family member, one of the first practical questions is a simple one: will this thing run up the electric bill? It is a fair worry. Hospitals are huge energy users, and the word “hospital” makes the bed sound power-hungry.
The good news is that a home hospital bed is not. It behaves much more like a recliner with a motor than like an air conditioner. Below you will find the real numbers, a formula you can use with your own bed, and what to plan for if the power goes out.
How much power does a home hospital bed actually use?
Home care suppliers commonly list electric bed hospital beds at roughly 100 to 250 watts, with fully electric models at the higher end. That number is the power the motor pulls while it is running. The rest of the day, when the bed just sits there holding a position, it uses little or nothing besides a small standby draw in the control box.
That distinction matters. Watts measure how fast power is used at a moment in time. What you pay for on your bill is kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is watts multiplied by time. A 200-watt motor that runs for a few minutes a day simply does not add up to much.
Manual, semi-electric and full electric beds
- Manual beds use hand cranks and need no electricity at all.
- Semi-electric beds use a motor for the head and foot sections. Height is adjusted by crank.
- Full electric beds use motors for head, foot and height, so they are the most convenient and draw slightly more when moving.
The simple formula for your own bed
The U.S. Department of Energy gives a straightforward method for estimating any appliance: multiply wattage by hours used per day, then divide by 1,000 to get daily kWh. Multiply by your utility rate to get the cost.
Where do you find the wattage? Look at the label on the motor or control box, or in the owner’s manual. If it lists amps and volts instead, multiply them together. The Energy.gov guide also notes that a plug-in electricity usage monitor can measure the real draw of anything that runs on 120 volts.
What it costs: four realistic scenarios
These figures use the same formula and an example rate of $0.17 per kWh. Your rate will differ, so treat the dollar amounts as a guide and the kWh as the constant.
| Scenario | Assumption | kWh / month | kWh / year | Approx. cost / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light use | 200 W, 12 min/day | 1.2 | 14.6 | $0.20 |
| Typical use | 200 W, 30 min/day | 3 | 36.5 | $0.51 |
| Heavy use | 250 W, 1 hour/day | 7.5 | 91.3 | $1.28 |
| Standby add-on (assumed) | 5 W, 24 hours/day | 3.6 | 43.8 | $0.61 |
Standby is an illustrative assumption. Many control boxes draw less, and some beds draw almost nothing when idle. Unplugging is rarely worth the hassle, but a usage monitor will tell you for sure.
A Pinal County, Arizona utility-allowance schedule gives a government-style benchmark: it lists an electric hospital bed at 200 watts for 0.2 hours a day, about 1 kWh per month. That lines up closely with the light-use row above.
How does it compare with the rest of your home?
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. residential customer used 10,791 kWh in 2022, about 899 kWh a month. A bed at 3 kWh a month is around one-third of one percent of that.
The same Pinal County schedule shows why the bed is not the thing to worry about. It lists an oxygen concentrator running 18 hours a day at 400 watts as roughly 223 kWh a month, and a nebulizer at about 5 kWh. If the person in your home uses several pieces of equipment, the bed will almost always be the smallest line.
What adds to the electricity use of a hospital bed setup?
The bed frame is rarely the issue. Watch these instead:
- Alternating-pressure or air mattresses: these use a pump that may run around the clock. Check the label for its wattage and run the same formula with 24 hours.
- Phantom or standby loads: Energy.gov notes that standby draw is usually small, but a monitor can estimate it.
- Bedside extras: a lamp, fan, heater or humidifier will usually outweigh the bed.
- Other medical equipment: oxygen concentrators, nebulizers and similar devices are the real power users.
Power outages: will the bed still work?
This is the question that matters more than the monthly bill. Most electric beds stop moving when the power fails. They stay in whatever position they were in, which is usually safe, but you cannot raise, lower or flatten them. Some beds include a battery backup or a manual crank, so ask your supplier exactly what yours has before an emergency.
The federal HHS emPOWER Program exists because people who rely on electricity-dependent equipment at home can be at serious risk during outages. If you or a loved one depends on powered medical equipment, tell your electric utility and make a backup plan in advance.
Simple battery backup math
Because a bed uses so little energy, a modest portable power station can run it for a long time. A 1,000 Wh unit powering a 200-watt motor can run for about 5 hours of continuous motor time. Since a bed typically runs only about 30 minutes a day (100 Wh), that is on paper roughly 10 days of positioning. Real-world conversion losses will shorten it, and anything else you plug in (such as an air mattress pump) drains it faster. Always size backup power for your whole medical setup, not just the bed.
Does Medicare cover a home hospital bed?
Often, yes. Medicare.gov states that Part B may cover hospital beds when a doctor prescribes one for use in your home, as durable medical equipment. After you meet the Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. Medicare also expects you to use a supplier that is enrolled in Medicare, so confirm that before you rent or buy. Coverage rules differ for Medicare Advantage and private insurance, so ask your plan.
6 ways to keep the electricity use low
- Read the label. Find the wattage and any run-time rating on the control box or in the manual.
- Measure instead of guessing. A plug-in usage monitor shows real consumption and standby draw.
- Check the mattress pump. If you use an alternating-pressure mattress, it will likely use more than the bed.
- Ask about backup options. Battery backup, hand cranks or emergency release can matter more than saving a few cents.
- Tell your utility. If someone depends on powered medical equipment, let the company know so they can note it.
- Look at the big loads. Heating, cooling and water heating bed dominate a household bill, not the bed.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a home hospital bed use?
Most electric home hospital beds draw roughly 100 to 250 watts, but only while the motor is adjusting the bed. The rest of the time they draw little or no power. Check the label on your control box for the exact figure.
How much does it cost to run an electric hospital bed per month?
With about 30 minutes of motor time a day, a typical bed uses around 3 kWh a month. At an example rate of $0.17 per kWh, that is about 50 cents. Heavier use might reach a dollar or two.
Does a hospital bed raise my electric bill?
Barely. The bed itself is one of the smallest loads in a home. Accessories like air mattress pumps, and equipment such as oxygen concentrators, use far more.
Does a hospital bed work during a power outage?
Only if it has a battery backup or you connect it to a backup power source. Some beds can also be moved with a hand crank or emergency release. Confirm this with your supplier before you need it.
Does Medicare cover a hospital bed for home use?
Medicare Part B may cover a hospital bed as durable medical equipment when a doctor prescribes it for use at home. You generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible.
The bottom line
A home hospital bed is one of the cheapest pieces of medical equipment to run. Expect somewhere between 1 and 8 kWh a month, which is pennies to a couple of dollars on most bills. The more useful thing to spend your attention on is the plan for when the power goes out, and on the other equipment that may be plugged in beside the bed.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration. How much electricity does an American home use?
- U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver. Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use
- Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Hospital beds coverage
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS emPOWER Program
- Pinal County, Arizona. Utility allowance schedule listing medical equipment wattage and kWh
- Sondercare. Hospital beds: power usage overview (typical wattage range)
