Compressors are often compared on purchase price. Yet that is the smallest part of the bill: a machine that runs several hours a day uses far more electricity in a few years than it cost to buy.
Estimating your electricity bill
The basic calculation fits on one line: power (kW) × operating hours per year × price per kWh.
Example, with assumptions to adjust to your situation: an 11 kW compressor running 2,000 hours a year, with electricity at £0.24 per kWh (UK government average for non-domestic users, early 2026), uses about 11 × 2,000 × 0.24 = £5,280 of electricity a year. Over ten years, that is several times the price of the machine.
Our electricity cost calculator does this calculation for you, taking idle running time into account.
Lever 1: leaks
A hissing fitting, a split hose, a drain stuck open: every leak forces the compressor to produce air for nothing, even at night if the network stays under pressure. Leaks are often a workshop's biggest source of waste, and the cheapest to fix. The leak cost calculator gives an order of magnitude of what they cost.
Lever 2: the right pressure
Producing air at a higher pressure than needed costs energy: a commonly used rule of thumb is about 7 % more consumption for each extra bar. If your tools work at 6 bar, setting the compressor to 10 bar "to be on the safe side" costs you every day. Set the pressure to the actual need, allowing for network losses.
Lever 3: idling
A fixed-speed screw compressor that is not delivering air keeps running idle for a while, and still draws about a quarter of its power. There are two ways to deal with this: a correctly sized machine that does not spend its time idling, and a large enough air receiver to space out the cycles. On AIRSTAHL models with a permanent magnet motor and variable frequency drive, the motor speed follows the air demand.
Lever 4: maintenance
A clogged air filter or a saturated air/oil separator makes the machine work harder for the same air flow. Servicing follows the hour meter: first service at 500 hours on our screw compressors, then every 1,500 hours. Our service kits bring together the right parts for each model.
In practice
Before choosing a machine, ask yourself how many hours a day it will run. For a few minutes of use per hour, a piston compressor is enough. For continuous use, a correctly sized screw compressor costs less over time. The configurator calculates your air requirement from your tools, and we can check the sizing with you before you order.
For your trade: Compressor for industry and production, Compressor for plastics processing, Compressor for printing and packaging.