Data through April 2026
Calculator · wattage estimate
Space Heater running cost calculator
These are estimates, not certified measurements.
Nearly every plug-in electric space heater tops out at 1,500 W — the maximum a standard US 15A outlet allows. ENERGY STAR does not certify space heaters, so there is no per-model consumption data.
Electric space heaters are all roughly equally 'efficient' at turning electricity into heat — what varies is how long and how hard you run them. That makes cost a pure watts × hours × rate calculation.
Calculator
Estimate — watts × hours × your rate
- Per day
- $1.69
- Per month
- $51.55
- Per year
- $619
1,500 W × 6 h/day × 365 ÷ 1,000 = 3,285 kWh/yr × 18.8¢ = $619/yr
Six hours a day approximates evening-and-morning heating of one room through a cold season.
Typical wattages
| Setting | Watts |
|---|---|
| Low setting (750 W) | 750 |
| Medium (1,000 W) | 1,000 |
| Full power (1,500 W) | 1,500 |
Estimated annual cost by state
| State | Rate ¢/kWh | Est. $/yr | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 17.4¢ | $572 | |
| Alaska | 27.4¢ | $898 | |
| Arizona | 15.5¢ | $509 | |
| Arkansas | 14.2¢ | $465 | |
| California | 35.3¢ | $1,158 | |
| Colorado | 16.5¢ | $543 | |
| Connecticut | 32.2¢ | $1,059 | |
| Delaware | 18.8¢ | $617 | |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $835 | |
| Florida | 15.4¢ | $505 | |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | $505 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 46.6¢ | $1,531 | |
| Idaho | 12.7¢ | $417 | |
| Illinois | 20.5¢ | $672 | |
| Indiana | 17.9¢ | $588 | |
| Iowa | 13.9¢ | $455 | |
| Kansas | 15.8¢ | $518 | |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $493 | |
| Louisiana | 14.4¢ | $474 | |
| Maine | 28.4¢ | $934 | |
| Maryland | 22.1¢ | $725 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.4¢ | $967 | |
| Michigan | 21.4¢ | $703 | |
| Minnesota | 16.4¢ | $538 | |
| Mississippi | 16.8¢ | $551 | |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | $460 | |
| Montana | 13.9¢ | $457 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $436 | |
| Nevada | 14.3¢ | $469 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.2¢ | $895 | |
| New Jersey | 23.5¢ | $773 | |
| New Mexico | 15.2¢ | $498 | |
| New York | 29.4¢ | $967 | |
| North Carolina | 16.3¢ | $534 | |
| North Dakotacheapest | 12.3¢ | $406 | |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $640 | |
| Oklahoma | 13.3¢ | $437 | |
| Oregon | 15.8¢ | $518 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5¢ | $705 | |
| Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | $930 | |
| South Carolina | 17.1¢ | $560 | |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | $477 | |
| Tennessee | 14.9¢ | $491 | |
| Texas | 17.0¢ | $558 | |
| Utah | 13.3¢ | $437 | |
| Vermont | 24.6¢ | $807 | |
| Virginia | 17.4¢ | $571 | |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | $472 | |
| West Virginia | 16.1¢ | $528 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.2¢ | $631 | |
| Wyoming | 14.7¢ | $482 |
Questions, answered with the data
- How much does a space heater cost per hour?
- At a typical 1500 W draw and the U.S. average rate of 18.8¢/kWh, about 28.2¢ an hour. That ranges from 18.5¢ in North Dakota to 69.9¢ in Hawaii.
- What does 6 hours a day add up to?
- 1500 W × 6 h/day comes to about $51.55 a month ($619 a year) at the U.S. average rate. Six hours a day approximates evening-and-morning heating of one room through a cold season.
- Why is this an estimate instead of certified data?
- Nearly every plug-in electric space heater tops out at 1,500 W — the maximum a standard US 15A outlet allows. ENERGY STAR does not certify space heaters, so there is no per-model consumption data.