How much does a space heater cost to run in Kentucky?
$52 a month while in use, November to March
- A day of use
- $1.71
- An hour of running
- $0.21
- A year (season only)
- $258.39
1,500 W, 8 hours a day on its high setting, November to March, at Kentucky’s average rate of 14.3¢ 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 | $0.21 | $6.51 | $32.30 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.43 | $13.01 | $64.60 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.86 | $26.02 | $129.20 |
| 8 hours a day typical | $1.71 | $52.05 | $258.39 |
| 24 hours a day | $5.13 | $156.15 | $775.17 |
Models range from 750 W to 1,500 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 1,500 W, the figure the source gives.
Kentucky compared with other states
Kentucky’s residential rate is the 8th cheapest of 51 states and DC, 4.1¢ below the US average of 18.3¢ (−22%). Kentucky’s rate is up 0.9¢ from June 2025 (13.4¢, +6.4%).
A cheaper way to do the same job
- A ductless heat pump giving the same heat would cost $17.35 a month in season, saving $34.70 a month in season and $172.26 a year. Assumes a heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.
- An electric blanket for the same hours would cost $3.47 a month in season, saving $48.58 a month in season and $241.17 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 $6.51 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 $26.02 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.
Questions
How much does it cost to run a space heater per hour?
About $0.21 an hour in Kentucky. A space heater at 1,500 W uses 1.50 kWh per hour, and at Kentucky’s average of 14.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.21.
How much does a space heater add to your electric bill?
Used 8 hours a day on its high setting, November to March, about $52.05 a month while it is in use in Kentucky, or $258.39 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 $5.13 a day, or $156.15 over an average month in Kentucky.
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 $17.35 a month in season instead of $52.05, saving $34.70 in Kentucky. This assumes a heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.
Why does a space heater cost more or less to run in Kentucky than elsewhere?
Kentucky’s residential rate is the 8th cheapest of 51 states and DC, 4.1¢ below the US average of 18.3¢ (−22%). Kentucky’s rate is up 0.9¢ from June 2025 (13.4¢, +6.4%). The appliance uses the same energy everywhere; only the price per kWh changes.
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.
- Carrier page: June 2026 residential average price, citing EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.