Heating cost guide
How much does a 1,500-watt space heater cost to run?
Most full-size plug-in space heaters draw about 1,500 watts on high. The important variables are your electricity rate and how many hours the heating element is actually on.
Appliance energy cost
Use the power label on your appliance and the electricity rate shown on your bill.
Formula: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per day × days × electricity rate. Cycling appliances and variable-speed equipment can use less than their full rated power.
What changes the answer?
One hour on high uses about 1.5 kWh
At full output, multiply 1.5 kWh by your electricity price. A thermostat can reduce actual consumption by cycling the element, but a cold or drafty room may keep it on nearly continuously.
Heater style does not change the basic bill math
Ceramic, oil-filled and infrared heaters can feel different, but resistance heaters turn electricity into heat at the point of use. Comfort, thermostat control and where the heat goes matter more than marketing claims.
Compare with heating only the occupied zone
A space heater may reduce total cost when it lets you lower whole-home heat and safely warm one occupied room. Running it in addition to unchanged central heat usually adds cost.
Use this result as a planning range
Keep combustible materials away from the heater, plug it directly into a wall outlet and follow the manufacturer’s clearance instructions.
Review the formulas and public sources in our methodology.