How much does a space heater cost to run?
$67 a month while in use, November to March
- A day of use
- $2.20
- An hour of running
- $0.28
- A year (season only)
- $332.32
1,500 W, 8 hours a day on its high setting, November to March, at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month in use | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day | $0.28 | $8.37 | $41.54 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.55 | $16.74 | $83.08 |
| 4 hours a day | $1.10 | $33.47 | $166.16 |
| 8 hours a day typical | $2.20 | $66.94 | $332.32 |
| 24 hours a day | $6.60 | $200.82 | $996.96 |
Models range from 750 W to 1,500 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,500 W, the figure the source gives.
A cheaper way to do the same job
- A ductless heat pump giving the same heat would cost $22.31 a month in season, saving $44.63 a month in season and $221.55 a year. Assumes a heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.
- An electric blanket for the same hours would cost $4.46 a month in season, saving $62.48 a month in season and $310.17 a year.
Ways to spend less
- Heat the person, not the room: a space heater makes sense only when it lets you turn the central thermostat down for the rest of the house.
- Run it an hour less each day. Saves about $8.37 a month in season.
- Use the low setting when the room is already warm; many 1,500 W heaters drop to about half power on low. Saves about $33.47 a month in season.
- Close the door of the room you are heating so the warm air stays where you are.
- Use a timer or thermostat plug so it doesn't run after you leave the room.
What a space heater costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month in use | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $47.85 | $237.55 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $48.36 | $240.09 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $48.80 | $242.26 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $49.24 | $244.44 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $51.36 | $254.95 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $51.54 | $255.85 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $51.54 | $255.85 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $52.05 | $258.39 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $52.30 | $259.66 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $52.45 | $260.38 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $53.80 | $267.09 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $54.31 | $269.63 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $54.42 | $270.17 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $54.97 | $272.89 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $55.12 | $273.61 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $55.26 | $274.34 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $55.41 | $275.06 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $55.63 | $276.15 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $56.06 | $278.32 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $56.39 | $279.95 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $56.76 | $281.77 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $57.34 | $284.67 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $58.14 | $288.65 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $58.18 | $288.83 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $59.20 | $293.91 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $59.57 | $295.72 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $59.71 | $296.44 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $59.86 | $297.17 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $62.52 | $310.40 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $62.85 | $312.03 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $63.91 | $317.28 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $63.95 | $317.46 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $70.04 | $347.72 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $70.41 | $349.53 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $71.39 | $354.43 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $72.60 | $360.41 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $79.31 | $393.75 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $79.72 | $395.74 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $83.91 | $416.58 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $88.77 | $440.68 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $89.02 | $441.95 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $89.21 | $442.85 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $91.07 | $452.09 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $98.59 | $489.42 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $102.97 | $511.17 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $106.69 | $529.65 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $107.64 | $534.36 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $108.00 | $536.17 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $108.08 | $536.53 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $126.80 | $629.49 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $192.43 | $955.29 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a space heater per hour?
About $0.28 an hour. A space heater at 1,500 W uses 1.50 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.28.
How much does a space heater add to your electric bill?
Used 8 hours a day on its high setting, November to March, about $66.94 a month while it is in use, or $332.32 a year across the November to March season.
How much does it cost to run a space heater 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a space heater would use 36.0 kWh a day and cost $6.60 a day, or $200.82 over an average month.
How many watts does a space heater use?
Models range from 750 W to 1,500 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,500 W, the figure the source gives. Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Is it cheaper to run a space heater or a ductless heat pump?
Using a ductless heat pump giving the same heat instead would cost about $22.31 a month in season instead of $66.94, saving $44.63. This assumes a heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.
Which state is cheapest to run a space heater in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $47.85 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $192.43 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.