That cost can increase quickly if you're operating the space heater for several hours a day. For example, running a 1,500-watt heater for 8 hours a day can cost an average of $1.92 each day. That means it will cost many users just under $60 to operate the space heater for 8 hours every day for an entire month.
On average, you can expect to pay about 20 cents per hour to run an average space heater that is 1,500 watts and can heat a standard room. If you run it for eight hours per day, you'll pay about $1.60 per day. That comes out to just under $50 per month.
In this case, as you can see in the following image, with one 12 Volt battery, you can run a 1500 Watt space heater for 0.4 hours or 24 minutes. By adding three more batteries to this setup, you can run a 1500 Watt heater for approximately 1.4 hours or 84 minutes.
While space heaters consume less energy than central heating systems, they are not as efficient if you are trying to heat up an entire floor of your home, for example. It is also important to consider how long you need to keep the space(s) warm.
For every unit of heat put out by an electric heater, it will cost around three times as much as a unit of heat from one of your radiators."
Running four hours a day, a 73-watt TV costs about a nickel per day to operate, or a little more than $17 per year. And that doesn't include vampire energy. In comparison, a 1,500-watt space heater running four hours a day costs nearly $1 per day, or about $88 for three months of daily winter usage.
As a rule of thumb, you will need 10 watts of heating power for every square foot of floor area in a room. This means that a 1,500-watt heater can be the primary heat source for an area measuring up to 150 square feet.
As you can see, 1,500 watt space heaters can use quite a lot of electricity when running 24 hours per day. Dollar-wise, running a 1,500W heater 24 hours will cost anywhere between $1.80 ($0.05/kWh) and $22.60 ($0.60/kWh), depending on the price of electricity.
The greater the heat loss, the more energy used and the higher your energy bill will be. So, depending on the layout of your house and the type of heating system you have, leaving your heat on all day can significantly increase your energy bills.
If you have a larger home
In larger homes, a small room may be worth heating individually if it's less than a quarter of the size of the whole house, although there's less benefit if your house is well-insulated.
Even two low-wattage space heaters run 24-hours a day for a month would cost more than heating your home using a gas furnace. One space heater might save you money if you only want to heat one room, but they're not a permanent solution.
Across most types of furnaces and especially when we consider space heaters, they are less efficient than air conditioners and lose energy that often escapes as waste heat.
Most space heaters use approximately 1,500 Watts of electricity per hour making them one of the most inefficient heating options for your home.
But it may not be right for every situation. An electric space heater can reduce your utility bills, but only if you lower the thermostat on your central heating system.
A common rating for electric heaters is 1500 watts, which equates to approximately 12.5 amps. This amperage is well within safe limits for operation in your home; provided the heater, power cord, receptacle, and electrical wiring are all in good working order, and that only one heater is used per electrical circuit.
If your heater is equipped with a good thermostat and you do not heat the room to a warmer-than-normal temperature, you can save money by using an electric space heater in a room you're in and keeping the rest of the house chillier.
The low setting needs 750 watts to run, whereas the high setting takes 1,500 watts. Roughly speaking, it will cost about $0.20 to run a 1,500-watt space heater for one hour. This may seem like a very low cost, but you must consider how long and how often you use the space heater.
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.
Infrared electric heater
Like halogen heaters, infrared heaters work by heating objects around them instead of the air. And although they have a higher up-front cost than a traditional heater, they're ultimately cheaper because of their excellent energy efficiency.
Combustion heaters are a great option for heating your home without power. Combustion heaters are indoor heaters that don't require electricity, utilizing propane instead of electricity. If you need heat without electricity or gas, kerosene radiant heaters should have everything you need.
Once you have ensured that a room's heat loss is kept to a minimum, gas central heating is generally your cheapest option. If that's not possible, consider using an oil-filled heater for larger rooms or an electric heater for small areas if you're willing to use it in short bursts.