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.
Summary: Space heaters are a great way to warm a single room in your home instead of adjusting your thermostat. But they are an inefficient way to heat your entire house. 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.
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.
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.
TIP: Most space heaters will include a buyers guide label, telling you what size of room they are appropriate for and the approximate usage.
Proper Sizing of Space Heaters for Your Home
The general rule of thumb? 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.
Your space heater won’t need to run all the time. Most modern space heaters have a set point. Once the room hits the temperature goal, the unit will shut off. As the room cools, it will start up again.
How Much Electricity Does a Space Heater Use? Calculator Tool
In this example, we’ll assume you want to heat your home office. In a well insulated home, the space heater may run just 4 hours during an 8 hour period.
Appliance: Space heater used to heat a 10 x 10 home office (100 square feet)
Number of Watts: 1000 Watts (10 watts per square foot of space)
Hours used per day: 4 hours
1000 watts X 4 hours = 4,000 watt-hours per day
4,000 watt-hours per day / 1000 = 4 kWh per day
4kWh per day X 20 work days in a month = 80 kWh per month
The calculator below assumes that you use a space heater 30 days a month.
How much electricity does a typical 1000 watt Space Heater use?
| Usage | |
|---|---|
| Daily Usage | 4.0 kWh |
| Monthly Usage | 120.0 kWh |
| Annual Usage | 1440.0 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.
| Wattage | |
| Hours Used Daily | |
| Energy Rate (¢/kWh) |
Your energy usage and cost for this appliance is :
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Space Heater Safety Tips
The risk of space heater fires is real. 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.
So if you are going to use one, here’s how to use a space heater safely:
- Safety Features. Make sure the unit you select includes safety features, such as a burn guard around the heating element, a shut-off if it gets too hot, and a automatic shut-off if it tips over.
- Location. Consider where you will use it. You should never use an extension cord or power strip with a space heater. And, you should keep it on the floor, around 3 feet from the wall. So, look at the length of the electrical cord before you buy your new device.
- Spacing. Use the 3 foot rule. Your space heater should not only be 3 feet from the wall, it should be 3 feet from anything flammable — pillows, curtains, bedding, furniture.
- 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.
