Data through June 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
- $1.65
- Per month
- $50.21
- Per year
- $602
1,500 W × 6 h/day × 365 ÷ 1,000 = 3,285 kWh/yr × 18.3¢ = $602/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 | 16.4¢ | $539 | |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | $927 | |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | $499 | |
| Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $464 | |
| California | 34.7¢ | $1,141 | |
| Colorado | 17.1¢ | $563 | |
| Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $799 | |
| Delaware | 19.3¢ | $634 | |
| District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $801 | |
| Florida | 15.1¢ | $496 | |
| Georgia | 16.4¢ | $537 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 52.7¢ | $1,732 | |
| Idaho | 14.4¢ | $472 | |
| Illinois | 19.9¢ | $653 | |
| Indiana | 17.5¢ | $575 | |
| Iowa | 15.9¢ | $523 | |
| Kansas | 15.7¢ | $516 | |
| Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $468 | |
| Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $443 | |
| Maine | 29.6¢ | $972 | |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | $717 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $973 | |
| Michigan | 23.0¢ | $755 | |
| Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $576 | |
| Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $489 | |
| Missouri | 16.2¢ | $533 | |
| Montana | 15.1¢ | $497 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $435 | |
| Nevadacheapest | 13.1¢ | $431 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $887 | |
| New Jersey | 24.9¢ | $820 | |
| New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $495 | |
| New York | 29.5¢ | $969 | |
| North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $484 | |
| North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $464 | |
| Ohio | 19.2¢ | $630 | |
| Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $471 | |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | $536 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $714 | |
| Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $960 | |
| South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $511 | |
| South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $505 | |
| Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $462 | |
| Texas | 15.9¢ | $524 | |
| Utah | 13.4¢ | $439 | |
| Vermont | 24.4¢ | $803 | |
| Virginia | 17.2¢ | $566 | |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | $490 | |
| West Virginia | 15.4¢ | $508 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $643 | |
| Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $501 |
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 18.3¢/kWh, about 27.5¢ an hour. That ranges from 19.7¢ in Nevada to 79.1¢ in Hawaii.
- What does 6 hours a day add up to?
- 1500 W × 6 h/day comes to about $50.21 a month ($602 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.