Naturally, the bigger the oxygen concentrator and the higher the dosage setting, the more electricity it will use. If you’re worried about how much your stationary oxygen concentrator will make your electric bill go up, we’ll help you figure it out. It actually might not be as bad as you think!
Stationary oxygen concentrators run on AC power, and do not use batteries or are able to run on DC power. They are normally bigger than portable concentrators and usually operated at home with the ability to move from room to room on the wheels at the bottom.
Stationary oxygen concentrators are useful to those who need more than 3 LPM of continuous flow oxygen. Because they offer so much more oxygen, they are bigger and heavier, and cannot be run on a battery or DC power. They would require too much juice for a lithium or a car battery to handle.
The good news is, you might be able to get help with paying for your electricity bill since this is a medical cost. Call your electric company and see if you can get on a base payment plan, which will keep your bill low and under a certain amount every month.
Depending on your income, you might be able to get on a lowered power plan. The extra electricity cost from your stationary oxygen concentrator can also be counted as a tax write off since it’s a medical expense. Either way, you’ll need to know exactly how much your concentrator alone will cost in electricity usage, by the month or by the year. It’s, really, not that hard to it figure out. Let’s do some power mathematics:
Things you’ll need:
- A basic calculator
- Your electricity charges per kilowatt-hour (or kWh) from your last month’s power bill
- Wattage (W) of your Stationary Oxygen Concentrator from the user manual
- The small Respironics SimplyFlo’s maximum wattage is 120 W
- Inogen at Home consumes 275 W at the max
- Respironics EverFlo at a 5 liter per minute flow consumes a max of 350 watts
- The mighty and powerful Invacare Platinum 10 uses 585 W at 10 LPM flow rate
There are Two Ways to do the Math:
- Use the easy Electricity Bill Calculator provided in the link.
- Or the more daring way, doing it on your calculator. Well, ok, if you want to do it in your head – it’s your call!
Here are the steps:
Let’s figure out how much your stationary oxygen concentrator will contribute towards your electricity bill.
- If you haven’t already found the wattage, let’s calculate it. There will be a label on your oxygen concentrator telling you the amps and volts. To find out the watts, multiply these two numbers together. For example, if the voltage is 120V and ampere is 3A, then watts will be 120V x 3A = 360W.
- Multiply watts by .001, to get the kilowatts. For example, 360 x .001 = 0.36 kW
- How many hours each day would you be using your concentrator? Multiply the kilowatts by the number of hours, to get the kilowatt-hour (kWh). For example, if you’ll use the oxygen concentrator for eight hours every day, then 8h x 0.36kW = 2.88 kWh
- Now, to the number above, multiply the amount your power company charges by the kilowatt-hour (kWh). The number you get is how much your concentrator costs in electricity per day. For example, the power company charges 10 cents per kWh, then $0.10 x 2.88 kWh = $0.288. Therefore, you’ll get charged approximately 30 cents per day.
- Multiply this number by 30 to figure out the cost per month, or by 365 to figure out how much it will cost you per year. For example, monthly power charges will be $0.288 x 30 = $8.64, and per year it will be $0.288 x 365 = $105.12
Related Information
- Home Oxygen Concentrator – User Manuals
- Portable Concentrator Electricity Usage and Costs
- Which Home Oxygen Concentrator Is Right for You?
Updated: November 17, 2023
Published: July 25, 2015
Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more.
Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
WHAT INCOME LEVEL DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO USE AS TAX DEDUCTION ???
Thank you for your question, Larry. That would be a great question to inquire with your personal tax adviser regarding.
My wife uses a concentrator at 5 ppm and in the motor home I use an inverter for power. The altenator is 13.6 volts with the concentrator running and 14.4 volt when it is off. Running it is drawing 32 amps but seems to be ok. Do I need too get a beefier altenator or is this okay?
Thank you for your inquiry, Ranny. Please refer to the owner’s manual on your individual machine to determine what is required for power output. The manual will tell you exactly how much power is needed to run the machine safely.
How much current a 5 ltr stationary oxygen concentrator draws during running?
5 liter home oxygen concentrator can consume anywhere from 275 to 350W. We can quickly answer all your questions over a phone call. Please reach us out at (888)572-5831.
what will be the cost to buy the stationary and the maintenance on the equipment i need buy one and hipping to another country and i would like to know how much maintenance need the equipment thank you
Thank you for your inquiry, Wilson. I have passed along your information to one of our Specialists who will reach out shortly regarding your request. If you’d like more immediate assistance, feel free to reach out to them directly at 877-774-9271 or at Sales@amsrco.com.
Presently I am using an Ever Flo oxygen machine on wheels(Blue in Color) approx. 8 hours per night.
Am I correct to believe that my cost per month should be the cost of kw multiplied by the hours used ,will show the extra cost to run this machine per month ? Thank you for your help.
Patricia, you are correct. I have included the instructions
How to Figure Out How Much Your Stationary Oxygen Concentrator Will Raise Your Electric Bill
1. There will be a label on your concentrator, telling you the amps and volts. To find out the watts, multiply these two numbers together. If you already know the watts, you can skip this step.
2. Multiply watts by .001, to get the kilowatts.
3. How many hours each day would you be using your concentrator? Multiply this number by 30 to figure out the cost per month, or by 365 to figure out how much it will cost you per year.
4. Multiply the kilowatts by the number of hours, to get the kilowatt hours.
5. Multiply the amount your electric company charges for kilowatts by the hours, and the number you get is how much your concentrator costs in electricity.
This is very helpful information. Now I need to know which stationery concentrators use the least number
of Kilowatt hours. Currently using liquid oxygen.
Thank you for your inquiry. I have passed along your information to a specialist who will reach out regarding your request. For more immediate assistance feel free to give our specialists a call at 888-360-9628 or if you prefer email sales@amsrco.com
I just got a everflo oxygen concentrator. There isn’t a label on it showing amps and volts. On it 24/7 as of now. How do I figure the cost.
Hi Christi, EverFlo consumes 350 watts. View an Electricity Bill Calculator.
On this page, insert ‘350’ in the Power Consumption field to calculate your charges.
i have copd this past week it has gotten worse i have been on my oxygen 24 hrs a day this is going to raise my electric bill will the power company help me with the extra cost my power bill is alresdy 300.00 a month any extra will be a real burden to pay need advise here.??
They might help. Call your power company to check.
I use a invacare homefill ll which fills my oxegen as well i have the concentrater on 24/7 as i need oxegen all the time my electric bill is nearly $ 400 every month i dont know what to do and i tried working it out but i am not so good at maths
Hi Sharon, we have revised this blog to better explain how to calculate your electricity charges. And have also included an online calculator. Please contact your power provider to change your plan as you need it for medical purposes.
$400 is not sound right. You must be use other items which consume heavy electricity. use it 24/7 like you described which will cost you at most $60 per month.
I also use a continous oxygen concentrator at home and my utility bill is 300 in the winter and 600 in the summer. What I finally realized is the concentrator produces alot of heat which makes the central air kick on more in the summer.
Yes, oxygen concentrators do produce heat as a byproduct of their operation. This can cause an increase in the amount of air conditioning needed to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home during the summer months. In addition to adjusting the temperature setting on your thermostat, there are a few other things you can try to help reduce your utility bill:
1. Keep the concentrator in a well-ventilated area: Make sure the concentrator has plenty of space around it to allow for adequate airflow. This can help prevent it from overheating and reduce the amount of work your air conditioning has to do.
2. Use a portable fan: Consider using a small portable fan to help circulate air around the concentrator. This can help dissipate the heat it produces and reduce the need for your air conditioning to work as hard.
3. Consider a more energy-efficient concentrator: Some newer concentrators are designed to be more energy-efficient than older models. If you’re using an older concentrator, it may be worth considering an upgrade to a newer, more efficient model.
4. Do Schedule routine maintenance: Regular maintenance can help ensure that your concentrator is running as efficiently as possible. This can include things like cleaning or replacing filters and checking for any signs of wear or damage that may be affecting its performance.
I am thinking about buying a Platinum 10L Oxygen Concentrator – 10 LPM which shows it uses 585 watts average, how much would that cost per month to run 24 hrs per day? Thank you!
Running a 585 W oxygen concentrator for 24 hours would cost around $43 per month (assuming 1 kWh costs 10 cents).
my wife and I are both on oxygen steadily 24/7
we have 2 large machines.
we are in the lowest income bracket.
are there and programs that would help?
we have electric heat and our bill last month was 580
Here’s a tip. If your oxygen requirement is up to 5 liters/min, then you can purchase a 10 liters/min machine and use a Y-splitter to divide the oxygen flow to 5 lpm each. This way you can use just one machine and save on power. We can quickly answer all your questions over a phone call. Please reach us out at 888-387-5914. We are open seven days a week.
Hey there, first of all thank you so much for this post and honestly i was searching for the same information from last few days. Keep posting and keep sharing.
सर नमस्कार
10 लीटर oxigen cansontrator के लिए इन्वर्टर कितने kv ka लिया जाए
जवाब जरुर दें
You are wondering what KVA inverter to purchase for a 10-liter oxygen concentrator. We suggest checking the power requirement for the oxygen concentrator, as it varies, and discussing it with an inverter vendor.
My husband has an Inogen At Home air concentrator, uses 3 liters, 24/7. He also has an AVAPS machine he has to use all night WITH the
Oxygen. I use a Phillips Respironics CPap every night.
We have a motorhome, and can’t always have access to electricity. We’re considering solar power ONLY for the purpose of running these machine, which the usage is heavier through the sleeping hours.
How much solar power and storage would we need to run these?
Hi Linda, Inogen At Home and Respironics CPAP machines are both excellent in terms of energy-efficeincy. Please check the user’s manual for more information. Click here for user’s manual.
What is the power consumption of Philips Millennium M10 oxygen concentrator, manual say Average Power Consumption as 600W, does it mean maximum of 600W?
Millennium M10 requires 600 W to operate. The requirement may vary slightly at different liter flows.
Hi…my husband uses Invacare platinum concentrator that requires 585 watts. My question is i have a 2019 kia Sorrento that does have a 3 prong plug in it. What type of inverter would work to take his concentrator in the car?
Hi Bonnie, Invacare Platinum 10L is a home oxygen concentrator that is suitable for in-house usage. The power consumption of 10-liter concentrators is high and cars won’t support it. I can offer the following advice:
1. Check with an auto-technician/electrician what changes are required in your car to make this possible.
2. Explore portable oxygen concentrator options that can fulfill your husband’s requirements. Portable oxygen concentrators can run battery power and DC power (car adapter) as well. These units are suitable for car travel. We’ve got Caire Eclipse 5 which can supply oxygen up to a setting of 9 on pulse dose.
Marilynbobo38@gmail.com
How much does it cost in electricity to run a concentrator 24 hours a day at level four. My machine is 3.10 W or 4 L 3.3 amp single phrase. How much does it cost to run it every day thank you.
Started using O2 from Large concentrator a week ago – at 2LPM. Cut it to 1 LPM after a few days. Believe I could go to 1/2 LPM on a part-time basis, with nothing overnite. What are the smallest suitable units available, and how is Medicare eligibility affected? I’ll gladly review your 2021 Product Catalog and any tips you can provide. Thanks for cost info also. Any reliability info available on various units? I have an engineer friend who will want to look at the details Thanks, Bernice
We can quickly answer all your questions over a phone call. Please reach us out at (877) 644-4581. We are open seven days a week.
What can be used to power the Invacare Platinum xl when we have power outages? We have tanks to fill but they don’t last that long.
good