How Much to Run a Space Heater in Iowa? $0.20/Hr, $281/Winter
Running space heater in Iowa costs about $0.20 an hour and roughly $281 for the winter — 1,500 W for 7.8 hours a day at 13.1¢/kWh.
· 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 Iowa rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.20 at 13.1¢/kWh
- Per winter
- $281 (182 days)
- Hours per day
- 7.8 (NOAA state heating degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 5,491 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 1,500 W (typical 750–1,500)
- Iowa rate
- 13.1¢ (October 2025–March 2026 average)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 16 (16th most expensive)
Why this number
Iowa runs space heater longer than the national baseline in October–March — 7.8 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 5.0 nationally — and pays 13.1¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 1,500 W, are the whole $281.
Space heater cost in Iowa by hours per day — per day / per winter
| Hours per day | Iowa avg 13.1¢ | MidAmerican Energy Co 11.0¢ | Interstate Power and L 17.9¢ | Adjustment 2024 13.0¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.20 / $36 | $0.17 / $30 | $0.27 / $49 | $0.20 / $35 |
| 2 h | $0.39 / $72 | $0.33 / $60 | $0.54 / $98 | $0.39 / $71 |
| 4 h | $0.79 / $143 | $0.66 / $120 | $1.07 / $195 | $0.78 / $142 |
| 6 h | $1.18 / $215 | $0.99 / $180 | $1.61 / $293 | $1.17 / $213 |
| 8 h | $1.57 / $286 | $1.32 / $240 | $2.15 / $391 | $1.56 / $284 |
| 12 h | $2.36 / $429 | $1.98 / $360 | $3.22 / $586 | $2.34 / $426 |
What Iowa’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per winter at 7.8 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidAmerican Energy Co | 632,436 | 11.0¢ | $0.17 | $236 |
| Interstate Power and Light Co | 417,153 | 17.9¢ | $0.27 | $383 |
| Adjustment 2024 | 205,531 | 13.0¢ | $0.20 | $278 |
What the numbers say about space heater in Iowa
Iowa logged 5,491 population-weighted heating degree-days over October–March (NOAA CPC state series), 157% of the CONUS figure of 3,500, which is why this page runs space heater 7.8 hours a day against the national 5.0 — 2.8 hours more. At Iowa’s October 2025–March 2026 average rate of 13.1¢/kWh that makes it the 16th most expensive of the 20 cold states for space heater: $281 for the 182-day winter, against Nebraska’s $220 and Maine’s $752. MidAmerican Energy Co, Iowa’s largest utility with 632,436 residential customers, averages 11.0¢ — $236 for the same hours — while Adjustment 2024 at 13.0¢ comes to $278, a $43 spread on identical use. Per million Btu delivered, resistance heat at 13.1¢ costs $38.39 against $10.84 for natural gas at Iowa’s winter average of $1.03/therm, so a 1,500 W heater is a room-by-room supplement in Iowa, not a whole-house plan. Iowa’s winter-average rate (13.1¢) sits 2.89¢ below its July 2026 reading of 15.99¢; the season figure uses the winter average because that is when space heater runs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run space heater per hour in Iowa?
$0.20 an hour for a 1,500 W unit at Iowa’s October 2025–March 2026 average average of 13.1¢/kWh (1,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1310); at MidAmerican Energy Co’s 11.0¢ it is $0.17.
How much does space heater cost for the whole winter in Iowa?
About $281: 1,500 W × 7.8 hours a day × 182 days (October–March) × 13.1¢. The hours are the national 5.0 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026 (5,491 against the CONUS 3,500); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is space heater expensive to run in Iowa compared with other cold states?
Iowa is the 16th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $281 a winter; the range runs from Nebraska ($220) to Maine ($752), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for space heater in Iowa: 1,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1310 $/kWh = $0.20 per hour; hours per day = 5.0 × (5,491 ÷ 3,500) = 7.8; 1,500 ÷ 1,000 × 7.8 × 182 × 0.1310 = $281 for the winter. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly 5.6.A (October 2025–March 2026 average); degree-days: NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026, against the CONUS total; utility prices: EIA-861 2024.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 space heater (national page) — The 1,500 W and 5.0 h/day baseline this page scales for Iowa, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Iowa — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Iowa’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Iowa averages 13.1¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Iowa — Iowa’s 15.99¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run heat pump in Iowa — Same Iowa rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Iowa — Same Iowa rates and degree-days applied to a 2,000 W ductless mini-split.
- Cost to run space heater in Wyoming — $276 for the winter at 13.55¢ and 7.5 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run space heater in Montana — $287 for the winter at 13.26¢ and 7.9 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.