What a Space Heater Costs to Run This Winter: About 27 Cents an Hour
A 1,500W space heater costs about 27 cents an hour at this winter's average power price. The monthly math, when it saves money, and what not to pay for.
Published November 4, 2026. Electricity prices are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Winter Fuels Outlook, released October 6, 2026.
A standard 1,500-watt space heater costs about 27 cents an hour to run on high this winter, at EIA's forecast U.S. average of 18.23 cents per kWh. That's about $66 a month if you run it 8 hours a night. And the price tag on the heater doesn't change that number. A $30 heater and a $600 heater cost the same to run.
The math, by region
A 1,500W heater on high draws 1.5 kWh every hour. Multiply by your rate. EIA's regional forecasts for this winter:
| Region | Price per kWh | Per hour on high | 8 hours a night, 30 nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | 18.23¢ | about 27¢ | about $66 |
| Northeast | 26.19¢ | about 39¢ | about $94 |
| West | 20.47¢ | about 31¢ | about $74 |
| Midwest | 16.87¢ | about 25¢ | about $61 |
| South | 15.75¢ | about 24¢ | about $57 |
On low (usually 750W), cut those numbers in half. Your bill shows your actual rate, so use that if you know it. EIA expects homes heated by electricity to spend 4% more this winter than last.
"Energy-efficient" is mostly marketing
Every plug-in electric heater turns nearly all of its electricity into heat. Ceramic, oil-filled, infrared and "vortex" designs differ in how they deliver heat: fast and fan-driven, silent and slow, or aimed at you. They don't make more heat per watt. A heater can't beat 100%.
What actually lowers the bill:
- A real thermostat. It shuts the element off when the room reaches temperature. The Lasko FH500, #1 on our list at about $150, has an eco mode that does exactly this.
- A timer, so it isn't running at 4 a.m. after you've fallen asleep warm. The oil-filled De'Longhi Dragon 4 (about $130) has a programmable one, and an oil radiator keeps radiating after the element cycles off.
- Heating one room, not the house. The Department of Energy's advice is that space heaters make sense for a single room or a cold spot. Turn the central thermostat down, or you're paying twice.
When it doesn't save money
If your furnace burns natural gas, a space heater is the expensive way to heat a whole house. EIA expects gas-heated homes to spend about $640 this winter, against $1,196 for electricity-heated homes (EIA cautions that the two groups of homes aren't directly comparable). Use the heater to avoid heating empty rooms, not to replace the furnace.
What to buy on Black Friday
Because every 1,500W heater costs the same to run, don't pay for the efficiency story. Pay for safety and controls. Every heater on our list has tip-over and overheat shutoff, which the Department of Energy also recommends, along with plugging the heater straight into a wall outlet, not a power strip.
- Best value: the Vornado VH200, #2 at about $60, with a 5-year warranty.
- Cheapest with the full safety suite: the Morento, about $30, with a 24-hour auto-off.
- Skip unless you want the purifier: the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP1 (about $599). You're paying for filtration and design, not cheaper heat.
For which type fits which room, read ceramic vs oil-filled. For the full ranking, and to vote, see Best Space Heaters.
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Common Questions
About 27 cents an hour for a 1,500-watt heater on high, at the 18.23 cents per kWh the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects homes to pay on average this winter. On a 750-watt low setting it's about 14 cents. In the Northeast, where EIA forecasts 26.19 cents per kWh, high costs about 39 cents an hour.
Running a 1,500-watt heater on high for 8 hours a night costs about $66 a month at the U.S. average price, about $94 in the Northeast and about $57 in the South. A thermostat that switches the heater off once the room is warm lowers that, by an amount that depends on how cold and drafty the room is.
Not in the way the box suggests. Every plug-in electric resistance heater turns close to 100% of the electricity it draws into heat, so a $30 1,500-watt heater and a $600 one cost the same per hour at the same setting. What saves money is a good thermostat, an eco or timer mode, and only heating the room you're in.
Only if you turn the central thermostat down and heat just the room you're using. The Department of Energy says space heaters make sense for one room or for supplementing a cold room. Heating a whole house with plug-in heaters usually costs more, especially if your furnace runs on natural gas, which EIA expects to be the cheapest main heating fuel this winter.
Yes, if the deal is on a heater with tip-over and overheat protection, a real thermostat and a timer. Don't pay more for 'energy-saving' claims. All 1,500-watt heaters cost the same per hour to run, so the cheaper heater with the same safety features is the better buy. Black Friday is November 27, 2026.
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