Electric vs Gas Lawn Mower: Running Cost, Maintenance and When Gas Still Wins

A battery lawn mower costs about 5 cents of electricity to recharge one 56 V, 5 Ah pack at the US average residential rate, while a gas mower costs whatever fraction of a gallon you burn times your local pump price. On running cost electric wins almost every time. The real decision is about lot size, grass conditions, runtime and how much engine upkeep you're willing to do.

This guide works through the numbers with every input stated, so you can swap in your own.

How much electricity does a battery mower use per mow?

The energy you put back into the pack is roughly what the pack holds, plus what the charger loses as heat. The math has three steps:

1. Pack energy (Wh) = volts × amp-hours. A 56 V, 5 Ah pack holds 56 × 5 = 280 Wh. If watt-hours vs amp-hours is fuzzy, see amp hours vs watt hours.
2. Energy from the wall = pack Wh ÷ charger efficiency. We assume the charger is about 85% efficient. That's our assumption, not a published spec, and real chargers vary. 280 ÷ 0.85 ≈ 329 Wh, or 0.33 kWh.
3. Cost = kWh × your rate. WattSimple uses $0.1648/kWh, the US average residential rate. 0.33 × $0.1648 ≈ 5 cents.

That assumes you run the pack flat. If you use half a pack, you pay half.

The corded row uses the 1,200 W figure in our appliance wattage reference. Actual draw goes up and down with how thick the grass is. See cost to run a corded lawn mower and how many amps a lawn mower uses.

Your rate is probably different from the national average, so plug it into the electricity cost calculator or look it up on electricity rates by state.

How do you work out gas cost per mow?

The formula is simple:

Gas cost per mow = gallons burned per mow × your price per gallon.

What's hard is the first number. Fuel use depends on the engine, the deck width, the grass and how long you mow, and there's no honest single "typical" figure. The easiest way to get yours is to fill the tank right up, mow, then measure how much it takes to top it off again.

As a worked example only, suppose your mower burns 0.25 gallons per mow and gas costs $3.50 a gallon (both made-up round numbers, not averages):

0.25 × $3.50 = $0.875 per mow, about 16 times the cost of one 280 Wh pack recharge at the US average rate.

Change either input and the gap gets smaller or bigger, but it would take very cheap gas and very expensive electricity for it to close.

What does a full season cost, gas vs electric?

These are illustrative numbers, and every input is listed so you can redo the math:

• 26 mows per season (about weekly for six months)
• Electricity at $0.1648/kWh (US average residential), charger 85% efficient
• Gas at $3.50/gal, an example price, not a forecast
• Fuel only: oil, parts and battery replacement are not included

A whole season of electricity costs about what a few gallons of gas do. Spread over the life of a mower, energy is a small cost. The bigger costs are upkeep and, for battery mowers, eventually buying a new pack.

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If you'd rather measure than assume, a plug-in meter between the outlet and the mower's charger shows the real kWh for one full recharge, charger losses included.

What maintenance does each type need?

This is where the difference shows up for most owners: not in the fuel bill, but in the chores.

The gas-mower failure people know best is stale fuel. Gas left in the tank over winter can gum up the carburetor, which is why owner's manuals say to add stabilizer or run the tank dry before storing it.

The battery-mower equivalent is the pack. Lithium-ion packs lose capacity with age and cycles, and a replacement pack is a real expense. Store packs indoors, out of heat and freezing cold, and don't leave them empty for months. Your owner's manual has the exact storage guidance. See how long a lawn mower battery lasts and how to charge a lawn mower battery.

Are electric mowers quieter and cleaner?

Noise. A battery mower has no engine. You hear the motor and the blade, which is clearly quieter than a small gas engine running at full throttle. Owner's manuals for gas mowers commonly recommend hearing protection. The difference matters for early-morning mowing, close neighbors, and some HOAs and towns that limit when you can run gas yard equipment.

Emissions. Walk-behind gas mowers use small spark-ignition engines, which the EPA regulates for exhaust and evaporative emissions under its nonroad engine program. Those engines don't have the emission controls of a modern car, and refueling adds spills and fumes. A battery mower has no exhaust at the mower. Its emissions come from whatever generates your electricity. California's Air Resources Board went further: most new small off-road engines sold in the state, mowers included, have had to meet zero-emission standards since model year 2024.

Corded or cordless electric?

Corded mowers need the right cord. Use an outdoor-rated extension cord heavy enough for the mower's current over the length you're running, and plug into a GFCI-protected outdoor receptacle. A 1,200 W mower draws about 10 A at 120 V (1,200 watts to amps). Check the cord gauge chart in extension cord safety and the cord chart in your mower's manual.

If you'd rather not push a mower at all, see are robot lawn mowers worth it.

When does a gas mower still win?

Battery mowers have closed most of the gap, but not all of it:

• Large lots. If the lawn takes three or four packs, you're buying a lot of battery capacity, and you may still have to stop partway through. A gas tank refills in a minute.
• Thick, wet or overgrown grass. Heavy cutting makes the motor draw more power, which drains packs much faster than the runtime printed on the box. A gas engine just burns a bit more fuel.
• Long runtime. If you mow for hours, or mow several properties, refueling beats recharging.
• Rough terrain and commercial use. Gas still dominates heavy-duty and riding equipment, though battery riders exist.

On a typical suburban lot with regular mowing, those conditions rarely apply, which is why battery mowers have become the default choice for many homeowners.

How do you decide?

1. Measure your lawn time. If a mow takes under an hour on a normal day, one or two packs will likely cover it.
2. Look at total pack Wh, not just volts. Two mowers rated at the same voltage can carry very different amounts of energy. See amp hours vs watt hours.
3. Price the replacement pack before you buy. It's the battery mower's biggest long-term cost.
4. Run your own rate through the electricity cost calculator and your own gallons through the gas formula above.

The bottom line

At the US average rate of $0.1648/kWh, a 280 Wh mower pack costs about 5 cents to recharge, and a whole season of mowing costs a dollar or two. Gas fuel costs gallons per mow times your pump price, and even modest fuel use multiplies that many times over. Electric also drops the oil, plug, filter and stale-fuel chores in exchange for one expensive wear item, the battery. Gas still earns its place on big lots, tough grass and long sessions.

Compare other running costs with the cost to run an appliance pages, or read how long a lawn mower battery lasts.