How Much Does It Cost to Run a Space Heater? $0.26/Hr, $38.25/Mo
Running a space heater at 1,500 watts for 5 hours a day costs about $1.27 a day and $38.25 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $191 a year.
· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23
On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources
Jump to calculator ↓Slider nudges the rate for a space heater; the URL keeps it.
The same a space heater at 5 hours a day costs $27.00 a month at 12¢ and $101.25 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:
| Electricity rate | Per hour | Per day | Per month in season | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12¢/kWh | $0.180 | $0.90 | $27.00 | $135 |
| 15¢/kWh | $0.225 | $1.12 | $33.75 | $169 |
| 17¢/kWh (US avg) | $0.255 | $1.27 | $38.25 | $191 |
| 20¢/kWh | $0.300 | $1.50 | $45.00 | $225 |
| 25¢/kWh | $0.375 | $1.88 | $56.25 | $281 |
| 30¢/kWh | $0.450 | $2.25 | $67.50 | $338 |
| 35¢/kWh | $0.525 | $2.62 | $78.75 | $394 |
| 45¢/kWh | $0.675 | $3.38 | $101.25 | $506 |
- Typical power draw
- 1,500 W (750–1,500 W)
- Assumed use
- 5 h/day, 30 days/month
- Energy per day
- 7.50 kWh
- Cost per day
- $1.27
- Cost per month
- $38.25
- Cost per year
- $191
Why this number
A space heater rated at 1,500 watts, run 5 hours a day, costs about $1.27 a day — about $38.25 a month, or $191 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 14th of the 40 appliances tracked here — mid-table, but high enough that it is worth being deliberate about how much you use it.
What actually drives this number
Electric resistance heaters are all essentially 100% efficient, so a $20 heater and a $200 heater with the same wattage cost exactly the same to run. What you pay for in the expensive one is thermostats, fans and safety cutouts, not cheaper heat. The only real levers are running it less, running it lower, or heating a smaller space.
At 1,500 W every hour of this load costs about $0.26, and no more efficient unit exists to buy — resistance heat is resistance heat at any price point. At this scale the levers are habit-sized, not equipment-sized: its closest heat-category neighbor on a monthly bill is the electric water heater at about $39.01, and the electricity cost calculator prices any wattage-and-hours pattern at your own rate.
Where this number comes from
- Benchmark: 1,125 kWh/year — Jackson Energy’s appliance chart rates a portable space heater at the same 1,500 W
- Assumed use for a space heater: 5 h/day, 30 days/month, 5 months/year — every one of these is editable in the calculator above
- Rate for a space heater: 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A ; the state selector above fills in yours
Putting Space heater in proportion
At 17¢/kWh, a space heater next to the rest of the bill:
- Space heater at $38.25 a month is close to Tankless water heater at $32.13, and just under Pool pump at $40.80
- One hour of a space heater uses as much as 25 hours of a 60 W Wi-Fi router
- Over a year a space heater comes to $191 — about 1.3 months of a $150 monthly electricity bill
For a space heater: making heat is where household electricity goes, but how it is made decides the bill. A resistance element — an oven, a dryer, a resistance furnace, a kettle — converts every watt into exactly one watt of heat, so a cheap appliance and an expensive one with the same rating cost the same to run and efficiency is not something you can shop for. Equipment that moves heat instead of making it, like a heat pump, delivers several units of heat per unit of electricity and breaks that rule entirely. The only levers on a resistance load are running it less, running it lower, or heating a smaller space. On this site’s own numbers, a space heater lands at #14 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $38.25 for a typical month.
The formula, in full
The 1,500 W arithmetic for a space heater, step by step:
- Watts to kilowatts. 1,500 W ÷ 1,000 = 1.50 kW.
- Energy per day. 1.50 kW × 5 hours = 7.50 kWh.
- Cost per day. 7.50 kWh × $0.17 = $1.27.
- Cost per month. $1.27 × 30 days = $38.25.
For a space heater the two levers are run-hours (5 h/day here) and your rate; at 5 hours a day, 1,500 W adds up — which is why anything that makes heat dominate the rankings.
Space heater running cost by state
Hours and rate both change with geography: the state pages scale the 5 h/day baseline by each state’s degree-days and price it at the state’s own EIA rate and its largest utilities’ prices. Cold states so far: Alaska , Colorado , Connecticut , Idaho , Illinois , Iowa , Maine , Massachusetts , Michigan , Minnesota , Montana , Nebraska , New Hampshire , New York , North Dakota , South Dakota , Utah , Vermont , Wisconsin , Wyoming .
Related
Other heating loads: Home sauna (electric) ($186/yr), 240V garage heater ($255/yr), Clothes dryer ($79/yr). Closest on annual cost: Gaming PC ($199/yr), Pool pump ($204/yr). Across all other heating loads here, the cheapest is Air fryer at $1.33/mo and the priciest is Electric furnace at $119.34/mo.
The a space heater table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .
Put a space heater ($38.25 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a space heater per hour?
About $0.255 an hour for a space heater at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 1,500 W unit. The calculation is 1,500 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.450.
How much does a space heater add to my monthly bill?
Roughly $38.25 a month for a space heater at 5 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $191 a year across a 5-month season. For a space heater, change the 5-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 1,500 W does.
How many watts does a space heater use?
Typically around 1,500 W, with real units ranging from about 750 to 1,500 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.
Why is my actual bill higher than the a space heater figure?
$38.25 a month is the energy cost of a space heater alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a space heater for the controllable part of the bill.
How we calculated this
Worked for a space heater: 1,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 5 h × $0.17 = $1.27 a day; × 30 days = $38.25 a month; × 5 months in use = $191 a year. 1,500 W and 5 h are the typical figures cited for a space heater; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where to go next
- Cost to run tankless water heater — The next cheaper item on the list: $32.13 a month against a space heater’s $38.25.
- Cost to run pool pump — The next pricier item: $40.80 a month, which puts a space heater in proportion.
- All 40 appliances ranked by monthly cost — Space heater is 14 of 40; the full ranking at 17¢/kWh.
- Electricity cost calculator — Any wattage and hours, not just a space heater — with the state quick-fill.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Your own utility’s average rate, sent straight into the a space heater calculator.