How Much Does it Cost to Run a Space Heater?

by Chris Deziel Google
    Heating with electricity isn't always economical.

    Heating with electricity isn't always economical.

    Electric space heaters provide heat quickly, and because they run on household electricity, you never have to buy fuel for them. You don't get this kind of convenience for free, however, and you'll notice a hefty hike in your monthly electricity bill if you use one regularly. The amount of money you spend to run a space heater depends on its size and frequency of use, and that amount might surprise you.

    How Electric Space Heaters Work

    Many devices that generate heat from electricity rely on electrical resistance, or the fact that an electrical conductor heats up whenever you pass a current through it. Inexpensive heaters usually have one or two coils wrapped around a ceramic core and a reflector that radiates the heat produced by the coils. Some more expensive heaters employ a bulb that emits primarily infrared radiation. These heaters usually include a copper heat exchanger that receives the radiation and a fan that blows the heat produced by the copper out into the room. Manufacturers often claim that these models are more environmentally friendly than conventional coil heaters.


    Whether your heater is one that heats by resistance or by emitting infrared radiation, calculating the cost of running it comes down to how much power it consumes, in watts. You can find the wattage rating for your heater on a tag located near the point where the power cord connects to the machine. If your unit doesn't have a variable power selector, it probably consumes 1,500 watts, whether it's a coil or infrared heater. Multiplying this number by the number of hours you use the machine in a day gives you a daily value for the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity it consumes.


    Electric companies charge consumers by the kilowatt-hour, and rates vary from company to company and can depend on how much electricity you use and the season. For example, the Pacific Gas & Electric Company base rate is from $0.08 to $0.13 for base usage and from $0.27 to $0.34 for heavy usage. Multiply your applicable rate by the number of kilowatt-hours the heater consumes to find out how much it costs to operate. For example, for a consumer who pays the base rate in winter, PG&E charges about three dollars for the electricity to run a 1500-watt heater for 24 hours. That's about $90 for a month of continuous use.

    Economical Heater Use

    Running a heater continuously when no one is in the room wastes energy, and you can prevent that by running the heater on a timer. The room will stay warm for a while after the heater automatically shuts off, and if you need it again, you can always turn the heater back on. Use a plug-in timer if the heater doesn't have one of its own. You can reduce the amount of time you have to run the heater by closing the doors and windows. One of the advantages of electric heat is that it produces no dangerous fumes.


    Space heaters need to be kept well away from any bedding, draperies and upholstered or covered furniture.

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