National Tax Day is approaching! Don't forget to claim a 30% Solar Tax Credit for your solar system. Read about Solar Tax Credit.
Space heaters can fight the cold alright but their service comes at a price. Heating the house makes up 25% to 50% of your electric bill in winter. How much energy does a space heater use, and how much does it cost to run one? Find out in this article.
Key takeaways
To use your space heater efficiently and avoid surprises on your bill, you need to know its wattage. Look for a label on the back of your heater or in its spec sheet. Space heaters come in various wattage ranges:
Low-power heaters of 500 – 1000 watts: Ideal for small rooms or spot heating.
Mid-range heaters of 1000 – 1500 watts: Suitable for warming up a medium-sized room.
High-power heaters of 1500 watts and above: Can heat up larger rooms or halls.
1.5kW
standard wattage of most electric heaters
The standard wattage of most electric heaters clocks in at 1,500W or 1.5kW. Lower or eco-friendly settings may bring it down to 750W. However, the heater will have to run longer to reach the desired temperature and will end up with the same consumption.
Once you know your space heater’s wattage, you can estimate its running cost. Divide your heater’s wattage by 1000 to convert watts to kilowatts and multiply by your electricity rate.
Cost of use per hour = wattage / 1000 × price per 1 kWh
If you live in California with a rate of $0.20 per kWh, running a 1.5kW heater will cost you about $0.30 per hour. If we leave it on all night, we will use 12kWh and pay $2.4. This will make $72 per month and $216 over the winter. On average heating and cooling stand for about a quarter of your energy bill, according to the US Energy Information Administration, but the expenses may grow higher during cold months.
The consumption cost heavily depends on the cost of electricity, and each state has its own cost per kilowatt hour. Let's see how much it would cost you to run a 1,500-watt space heater for eight hours every day throughout the winter.
Seems that a space heater already draws too much electricity, but that’s far from the whole story. It is an energy vampire just like your computer, wi-fi router or your phone charger. Energy vampires are electronic devices that continue to drain electricity even when they are turned off but still plugged in.
The amount of energy used by a single space heater in standby mode might seem small — just a couple of watts. But add a TV, coffee maker, a game console, and you’re running $100 to $200 a year a year for devices you don’t even use.
Staying warm doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here you find five simple yet effective strategies to keep your home cozy without hitting your budget.
Not to choose between cost and comfort, you may use solar panels. You can harness solar energy and turn on the heater during the day, or you can store your energy in a battery or send it to the grid and draw later if you want to run the heater in the evening.
Let’s take a standard 400-watt solar panel. With 25% DC to AC conversion losses, this panel generates about 300W. To continuously power a 1,500W heater, we would need five of them.
Electricity that goes into heating in the winter can be used for air conditioning in the summer, which also makes up quite a bit of your electric bill.
Suppose we want to run the heater in the evening for four hours. We can either draw power from the grid or use a battery. With the battery, we need to store 6kWh of energy in a day. With four peak sun hours per day, we will again need five 400W solar panels for it.
400 W × 5 panels × 4 psh - 25% = 6 kWh
By harnessing the sun and using your space heater wisely, you can enjoy its warmth without breaking the bank. Remember, a little planning goes a long way in keeping both you and your wallet cozy. If you’re wondering how else you can save money on electricity, check out our article “How to make home energy efficient, save money and help the planet”.
Start saving money with solar panels!
Check what solar panels we have in stock or get a quote for a system from our engineer.
Shop solar panels
Years of experience in translation and a love of nature help Julia find the right words to encourage going solar. She joined the team in 2023 and is happy to make her contribution to a greener future.
More articles from this authorStay tuned
Learn about the latest arrivals and discounts first!
How many watts does an electric furnace use? It’s a bottomless pit
Check yourself: How to perform DIY home energy audit
