Enter your softener's control valve wattage and regeneration frequency to see the modest but real annual electricity cost.
A water softener's electricity cost is almost always minor — the bigger ongoing costs are salt and water used during regeneration, not electricity.
A water softener's control valve draws a small continuous standby current to keep its clock and settings, with a brief higher-power burst during each regeneration cycle — both add up to only a few dollars a year in most cases. If you're evaluating whether a softener is worth it, salt cost and water used during regeneration are typically the larger recurring expenses to factor in separately.
No — it's one of the lowest electricity users in a typical home; its ongoing cost comes mainly from salt and the water used during backwash/regeneration, not the electrical control valve.
Most units retain basic settings briefly on battery backup, but an extended outage can require resetting the clock and regeneration schedule once power returns.