A space heater can save you money on your winter electric bill, but only if you use it wisely. If you’re using space heaters to just heat the room you’re using? Yes. Running multiple space heaters simultaneously to heat your entire house? Your electric bill may increase significantly.
Key Takeaways
Space heaters can save money on your electricity bill, but only when used correctly.
- Space heaters are a great way to warm a single room in your home.
- Make sure to size the heater properly; you’ll need 10 watts of heating power for every square foot of the room you are heating.
What are the Most Common Types of Space Heaters?
The most common type of space heater used today is the radiant heater or infrared heater. A second option is the convection heater, which is less common in the residential consumer market.
- Radiant heaters (infrared heaters) warm objects and surfaces directly without heating the air in between. They are best for targeted warmth in smaller areas.
- Convection heaters warm the air in the room and are better for larger rooms or open spaces where warm air needs to circulate. These are often filled with oil or water.
Whichever type you choose, proper sizing is key. Most space heaters will include a buyers guide label, telling you what size of room they are appropriate for and the approximate usage.
What Size Space Heater Do I Need?
For proper space heater sizing, You’ll need 10 watts of heating power for every square foot of floor area in the room. So if you want to heat a 10 x 10 room, or 100 square feet, you’ll need a 1,000 watt space heater.
How Much Electricity Does a Space Heater Use?
A 1000 watt space heater running 8 hours daily, will use 8 kilowatt hours per day, 56 kWh per week and 240 kWh per month. Assuming a US Average of 17.5¢ per kWh (Source: EIA) it will cost you $42 a month to use your space heater.
A couple reality checks though. Modern space heaters have thermostats and temperature settings and don’t run all the time during that 8 hour period. So your actual usage may be half of that calculation. Keep that in mind when using the calculator tools below.
How much electricity does a typical 1000 watt Space Heater use?
| Usage | |
|---|---|
| Daily Usage | 8.0 kWh |
| Monthly Usage | 240.0 kWh |
| Annual Usage | 2880.0 kWh |
Daily usage calculation is (watts * daily hours) / 1000.
Try this electricity usage calculator to see the electricity usage and cost to run your space heater each month.
Calculate electricity usage for your appliances.
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Do Space Heaters Cause Fires?
Space heaters can cause fires if not properly used. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, space heaters are involved in more than a thousand home fires every year. And National Fire Protection Association reports that space heaters cause over 40 percent of home heating-related fires (which includes items like water heaters and fireplaces) and 76 percent of associated deaths.
Below are some safety tips to follow to avoid a space heater fire risk.
How to Use a Portable Space Heater Safely
Here’s how to use a space heater safely:
- Safety Features. Make sure the space heater you select includes safety features, such as a burn guard around the heating element, a shut-off if it gets too hot, and an automatic shut-off if it tips over.
- Location. Keep your space heater on the floor, around 3 feet from the wall.
- Spacing. Your space heater should not only be 3 feet from the wall, it should be 3 feet from anything flammable — pillows, curtains, bedding, furniture.
- Plugging it in. Never use an extension cord or power strip with a space heater.
- Sizing. Buy a space heater that is the correct size for the for the room you want to heat. You’ll need 10 watts of heating power for every square foot of floor area in the room.
- Turn it Off. Lastly, as with the lights, turn off your space heater when you leave the room. There’s no sense in heating an empty room.
The best way to save money on your heating bill? Remain energy conscientious. This blog has a lot of energy efficiency tips. Implement just a few of them and you’ll be on your way to cutting your winter heating bill.
