In 40 seconds
A home sauna in the UK typically costs anywhere from about £1,500 to £12,000+ to buy. Compact one- to two-person infrared cabins are usually the lowest-priced route, often around £1,500–£4,000, while installed traditional electric saunas commonly run from roughly £3,000 to £13,000+ depending on size and whether it is indoor or a garden cabin. Running cost depends on the heater and how long you use it: at an assumed electricity rate of about 27p per kWh, a small infrared session is roughly £0.40–£0.50 and a larger traditional 6–8kW session about £1.35–£1.65, which for two to three sessions a week is often around £8–£20 a month. Any heater over about 3kW must be hard-wired on a dedicated supply by a qualified electrician under Part P. The honest answer is always a range, because it depends on the sauna type, its size and your electricity tariff.
Most sauna guidance is published by companies selling the cabins, so the headline numbers tend to be optimistic and the running costs and electrics glossed over. The pages below give honest cost ranges, explain what a sauna costs to run, compare traditional and infrared fairly, and set out when the law requires a qualified electrician — before you take a single quote.