Do heaters use more electricity than air conditioners?

Author: Arden Champlin DVM  |  Last update: Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Because an electric furnace needs to generate heat, it uses far more electricity than an air conditioning unit as it works to keep your home warm.

Is it cheaper to run an AC or heater?

While it can depend on the season and outside temperature, heating a home is often more expensive than cooling it. Heating can consume more energy because the temperature outdoors is significantly lower than the desired indoor temperature. So, your heater has to work harder to get your home to the desired temperature.

Is it cheaper to run AC or heat in winter?

Yes AC is cheaper in winter . as the unit on the outside of the building need to get cold and the inside unit becomes a heater , so the colder the outside the more heat you get for little pennies. That's the easiest way to explain it.

Do space heaters run up your electric bill?

If you use a space heater in your home, please be aware that using a space heater can cause a significant increase in your monthly bill. A 1,000-watt space heater operating 12 hours a day will add about $40 to your monthly bill. If the cost does not deter you, remember how important it is to use space heaters safely.

Do plug-in heaters use a lot of electricity?

On average, space heaters use 1,500 watts of electricity.

Using a space heater 8 hours per day will use about 84 kilowatt-hours of electricity per week. It costs an average of $51.65 to run a space heater for a month and $258.26 to run for a year.

What's the most efficient type of electric heater?

Is it cheaper to run a space heater or central heat?

But in general, since central heating powered by natural gas is cheaper than heat from electricity, heating a large space will cost less with an HVAC system that runs on gas.

What runs your electric bill up the most?

What costs the most on your electric bill? Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.

Is running a space heater all night expensive?

Most use 1,500 watts when on the highest heat setting, which costs about $2 per 8-hour day or over $50 a month based on the average cost of electricity nationally (local costs vary).

What temperature should my AC be to save money?

Energy Saver recommends setting your air conditioner to 78 degrees when you wake up, 85 degrees during the day, and 82 degrees when you're sleeping to save the most money. Kureczka suggests bumping the temperature up to the highest setting you're comfortable with.

What month is the cheapest to buy an air conditioner?

Fall or spring are the best times to buy air conditioners—you could save 10% to 15% on a new unit. Consider installing a new AC system when renovating your home or altering its interior layout. A new central air conditioner costs $3,500 to $7,500 to install.

Is it cheaper to cool a house or keep it cool?

You can save 5% to 15% on your air-conditioning bill by raising the temperature when you're away. Despite a myth to the contrary, it's cheaper to cool down a hot house than it is to keep the house consistently cool.

What takes more electricity AC or heater?

Because an electric furnace needs to generate heat, it uses far more electricity than an air conditioning unit as it works to keep your home warm.

What is the cheapest way to heat a home?

Natural gas is likely the cheapest way to heat your home, provided you have natural gas in your area. A natural gas furnace costs $30 to $60 per month to run, which makes it 30% to 85% cheaper to run than an oil, electric, or propane furnace.

Does using heat cost more than AC?

Heating is more expensive than air conditioning because your system has to do more work adjusting to relative temperature differences. Boston homeowners know that it gets a lot colder in Massachusetts than it gets hot. We have our warm days, but our cold winters are on another level.

How much does it cost to run a 1500 watt heater for 24 hours?

Example (you can use an electric heater running cost calculator below for different wattages/kWh prices): If we assume the price of electricity is $0.1319 per kWh, a 1,500-watt electric space heater will cost; $0.20 to run per hour. $4.80 to run per 24 hours (day). $11.20 to run per week (8h/day).

What temperature to set thermostat in winter?

If someone is at home in the daytime, 72° F (22° C) is a good start, but aim for 68° F (20° C). If everyone is away from home in the daytime or you're asleep at night, we feel 66° F (19° C) to 62° F (17° C) is best.

Are oil-filled heaters efficient?

✓ Oil-filled radiators are incredibly efficient thanks to their heat-retentive thermal fluid, even heat distribution and retention, and in-built energy-saving features.

What drains the most electricity in a house?

Which home appliances use the most electricity?
  1. Heating and cooling: 45-50% The largest electricity consumer in the average household is your heating and cooling appliance. ...
  2. Water heater: 12% ...
  3. Lighting: 9-12% ...
  4. Refrigerator: 8% ...
  5. Washer and dryer: 5% ...
  6. Electric oven: 3% ...
  7. Dishwasher: 2% ...
  8. TV and cable box: 2%

What would cause my electric bill to spike?

Extra showers, more lights, and adjusting the thermostat even just a couple degrees can all add up to a higher electric bill.

What utility bill is usually the highest?

Key takeaways
  • The average American household pays $6,888 in utility bills per year, including for cell phone and internet services, electricity, gas and water.
  • The most expensive utility is cell phone service, at $1,844 per year, followed by electricity at $1,644 per year.

Do electric heaters raise the electric bill?

An electric space heater is small but uses a lot of energy! A 1,500-watt heater running for eight hours each night for a month can add about $43 to your electric bill. Running multiple space heaters can run up your energy costs. Specific, sparing use.

Do plug-in heaters save money?

Savings using a space heater for 8 hours per day

Those with electric heat save less -- about $72 respectively -- and folks with natural gas, which is currently cheap, would pay about $36 more than if they ran a space heater.

Previous article
Where should you not place a motion sensor?
Next article
Do scrap people take microwaves?