How much does it cost to run a space heater?
Of the 10 electric heaters we can price at Amazon today with their wattage in the name, 10 are rated 1,500 watts. Each costs about 27¢ an hour at full power, and they sell for $20.52 to $116.97.
A 1,500-watt space heater uses 1.5 kWh an hour at full power: about 27¢ an hour at the US average of 18.31¢ per kWh, or about $66 for eight hours a day over a month. Every 1,500-watt heater costs the same to run, whatever it cost to buy.
Updated · BasketPrice editorial
Why a cheap heater costs no more to run
An electric space heater turns all the electricity it draws into heat. A small ceramic heater and a large oil-filled radiator, both at 1,500 watts, put the same heat into the room and add the same to the bill for every hour at full power. Most portable electric heaters are rated 1,500 watts, the heaters on our shelf among them.
What does change the bill is how many hours a heater runs at full power. A heater with a thermostat switches off once the room reaches the temperature set, and a low setting, usually around 750 to 900 watts, roughly halves the hourly cost. An “eco” mode saves money only in those two ways.
Working out your own cost
Watts divided by a thousand gives kWh per hour; multiply by your price per kWh, which is on your bill. At 18.31¢, the US residential average in July 2026 according to the Energy Information Administration, a 1,500-watt heater costs 27¢ an hour, a 750-watt setting 14¢. The table below does it for every state.
Prices in the table are the average for each state across all its utilities. A time-of-use plan charges more in the evening, when a heater usually runs, so the bill for those hours can be higher than the average suggests.
What an hour of a 1,500-watt heater costs, state by state
Average residential price per kWh in July 2026, from the Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly (released 2026-09-24). A month is eight hours a day for 30 days at full power.
| State | ¢ per kWh | An hour | A month, 8 hours a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| US average | 18.31 | 27¢ | $65.92 |
| Alabama | 16.40 | 25¢ | $59.04 |
| Alaska | 28.83 | 43¢ | $103.79 |
| Arizona | 15.38 | 23¢ | $55.37 |
| Arkansas | 14.33 | 21¢ | $51.59 |
| California | 33.61 | 50¢ | $121.00 |
| Colorado | 17.00 | 26¢ | $61.20 |
| Connecticut | 24.16 | 36¢ | $86.98 |
| Delaware | 18.48 | 28¢ | $66.53 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21 | 38¢ | $90.76 |
| Florida | 15.03 | 23¢ | $54.11 |
| Georgia | 16.27 | 24¢ | $58.57 |
| Hawaii | 48.00 | 72¢ | $172.80 |
| Idaho | 13.73 | 21¢ | $49.43 |
| Illinois | 19.22 | 29¢ | $69.19 |
| Indiana | 16.73 | 25¢ | $60.23 |
| Iowa | 15.99 | 24¢ | $57.56 |
| Kansas | 15.27 | 23¢ | $54.97 |
| Kentucky | 13.81 | 21¢ | $49.72 |
| Louisiana | 12.72 | 19¢ | $45.79 |
| Maine | 32.41 | 49¢ | $116.68 |
| Maryland | 21.41 | 32¢ | $77.08 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49 | 46¢ | $109.76 |
| Michigan | 23.05 | 35¢ | $82.98 |
| Minnesota | 17.45 | 26¢ | $62.82 |
| Mississippi | 14.54 | 22¢ | $52.34 |
| Missouri | 16.09 | 24¢ | $57.92 |
| Montana | 14.99 | 22¢ | $53.96 |
| Nebraska | 13.78 | 21¢ | $49.61 |
| Nevada | 12.77 | 19¢ | $45.97 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60 | 40¢ | $95.76 |
| New Jersey | 25.19 | 38¢ | $90.68 |
| New Mexico | 16.09 | 24¢ | $57.92 |
| New York | 29.90 | 45¢ | $107.64 |
| North Carolina | 15.16 | 23¢ | $54.58 |
| North Dakota | 13.41 | 20¢ | $48.28 |
| Ohio | 19.45 | 29¢ | $70.02 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35 | 22¢ | $51.66 |
| Oregon | 15.97 | 24¢ | $57.49 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72 | 33¢ | $78.19 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29 | 42¢ | $101.84 |
| South Carolina | 15.47 | 23¢ | $55.69 |
| South Dakota | 15.37 | 23¢ | $55.33 |
| Tennessee | 13.71 | 21¢ | $49.36 |
| Texas | 15.88 | 24¢ | $57.17 |
| Utah | 13.12 | 20¢ | $47.23 |
| Vermont | 23.75 | 36¢ | $85.50 |
| Virginia | 17.55 | 26¢ | $63.18 |
| Washington | 14.71 | 22¢ | $52.96 |
| West Virginia | 15.78 | 24¢ | $56.81 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06 | 29¢ | $68.62 |
| Wyoming | 14.36 | 22¢ | $51.70 |
The space heaters we track, cheapest first
Today’s Amazon price beside what an hour at full power costs at 18.31¢ per kWh. The price column climbs; the hourly column follows the wattage alone.
| Heater | Today | Watts | An hour at full power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1500W Small PTC Ceramic Space Heater for Indoor Use | $20.52 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| Amazon Basics Ceramic Space Heater, Portable Indoor Heating Solution,… | $20.69 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| BLACK+DECKER Personal Ceramic Heater, 1500 Watts, BHDC201, Black | $22.99 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| JIBUFI 17 Inches Space Heaters for Indoor Use, 1500W Electric Heaters | $39.98 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| WINHL Space Heaters for Indoor Use with Thermostat, 1500W Electric… | $39.99 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| DREO Space Heater 1500W, 60° Adjustable Tilt, Portable Heater for… | $42.49 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| DREO Quiet Space Heater, 1500W Portable Heaters for Indoor Use with… | $59.43 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| DREO Space Heaters for Indoor Use with Thermostat, 1500W Electric… | $74.99 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| Dr Infrared Heater DR-968 Portable Space Heater, 1500-Watt, Cherry | $104.99 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
| DREO Smart Wall Heater, 1500W Space Heater for Bedroom, White,… | $116.97 | 1,500 | 27¢ |
Questions people ask
- Do space heaters use a lot of electricity?
- For one appliance, yes: at full power a 1,500-watt heater uses 1.5 kWh an hour, more than 12 times what a median 65-inch TV draws. At 18.31¢ per kWh that is about 27¢ an hour and about $66 a month at eight hours a day.
- How much does it cost to run a space heater for 8 hours?
- About $2.20 for a 1,500-watt heater at full power, at the US average of 18.31¢ per kWh in July 2026. On a 750-watt low setting, about half that.
- Do more expensive space heaters cost less to run?
- No. An electric heater turns every watt it draws into heat, so two heaters of the same wattage cost the same per hour at full power. A thermostat and a low setting reduce the hours and watts; the purchase price does not.
- How much does a space heater add to an electric bill per month?
- About $66 for a 1,500-watt heater run eight hours a day at full power, at 18.31¢ per kWh. In California, at 33.61¢, about $121.