How much does it cost to run a space heater?
We've pre-filled a typical space heater below. Set your electricity rate and adjust the hours to match how you use yours — the cost updates instantly.
Plug-in heaters run at 1,500W on high — there is no low-power mode that still heats a room.
Running a space heater at 1,500W for 5 h a day costs about
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A space heater is one of the most expensive things you can plug into a wall. Electric-resistance heat is 100% efficient at making heat, but that's exactly the problem: every watt becomes heat at full price, so a 1,500-watt heater costs the same to run as fifteen 100-watt bulbs blazing all at once.
Run that heater eight hours a night through a cold month and it quietly becomes the biggest single line on your electric bill — often more than your fridge, TV and computer combined. The trick is never the heater's setting; it's how few hours and how small a space you can get away with.
What drives the cost of running a space heater
- It draws the full 1,500W whenever the element is on — the thermostat just cycles it on and off, it never sips.
- Heating is measured in hours: a heater left on overnight costs roughly 8× one left on for an hour.
- Resistance heat has no efficiency trick — unlike a heat pump, it can't move heat, only make it.
How to cut it
- Heat the one room you're in and shut the door, instead of fighting a cold house.
- Use the built-in thermostat and set it as low as is comfortable — every degree is real money.
- A heated blanket (~100W) keeps a person warm for a fraction of a 1,500W heater warming a room.
- If you heat a room for hours every day, a small heat-pump unit moves 3–4× the heat per watt.
Common questions
How much does it cost to run a space heater per month?
At a typical 1,500W and about 5 hours a day, a space heater costs roughly $38 a month at $0.17/kWh. Set your own rate and hours above for an exact figure.
How can I cut the cost of running a space heater?
Heat the one room you're in and shut the door, instead of fighting a cold house.
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