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Ever wondered how much does it cost to run a space heater all day? This article explains how much electricity does a space heater use. First I’ll explain exactly what a Space Heater is. The Space Heater or also known as a Fan Heater or Blower Heater is a heating unit that comes in different sizes ranging from 200w to 1500w.
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The Space Heating System has either a Ceramic or Coiled Element that heats up using electricity. Heat is pushed out of the heater by the force of a fan.
Space Heaters are perfect for small to medium sized rooms. The size you require depends on the size of your room you want to heat. Space Heaters are commonly used in bedrooms, lounge rooms, offices, motorhomes and garages.
There are larger space heaters than 1500w but not very common as most people would go for a different type of heater like the Split Systems, Hvac, Furnace, 3 in 1 Type and Gas Heaters.
To work out how much your space heater costs to run, the first thing you need to know is – The watt rating of the space heater you are using, is how many watts of electricity is used PER HOUR at the maximum setting.
How Much Electricity Does A Space Heater Use?
In comparison to an electric fan heater, a space heater does not use a lot of electricity. It provides a more efficient way to heat the environment and provides warmth for up to ten hours without requiring additional power or recharging.
How Much Does It Cost To Run a Space Heater 1500w?
One of the most common types of space heaters is the 1500w. If you are using a 1500w space heater, then you will use 1500 watts of power to run it at the maximum setting, per hour.
That said most heaters have multiple heat settings.
For example – Low, Medium and High.
Each setting is a percentage of the wattage.
Usually the low setting would be 1/3 of the full setting, meaning –
- Low Setting – 1/3 of 1500w = 500w
- Medium Setting – 2/3 of 1500w = 1000w
- High Setting – 3/3 of 1500w = 1500w
The Next Thing You Must Consider Is The Cost Of Your Electricity.
- Electricity is charged in kilowatt hours (kWh). A kilowatt is 1000 watts. Each state can have a different cost of usage per hour, but the average is $0.13/kWh.
You can check your kWh cost by checking your electricity bill, electricity supplier account online or ring your supplier.
To calculate your usage exactly, you need to do some mathematics.
Multiply the Wattage by Electricity Price by Time.
See below, we have done the calculations for you!
How Much Does It Cost To Run a Space Heater All Day?
Well that depends on how many hours you are running your space heater and what settings you have applied. Below are some examples based on the average cost of electricity ($0.13/kWh).
1500w Space Heater
Low Setting (500w)
- 2 Hours – $0.13
- 4 Hours – $0.26
- 8 Hours – $0.52
- 12 Hours – $0.78
- 16 Hours – $1.04
- 24 Hours – $1.56
Medium Setting (1000w)
- 2 Hours – $0.26
- 4 Hours -$0.52
- 8 hours – $1.04
- 12 Hours – $1.56
- 16 Hours – $2.08
- 24 Hours – $3.12
High Setting (1500w)
- 2 Hours – $0.39
- 4 Hours -$0.78
- 8 hours – $1.56
- 12 Hours – $2.34
- 16 Hours – $3.12
- 24 Hours – $4.68
How Much Does It Cost To Run a Space Heater All Night?
The principles of how to work out how much it costs to run a space heater all night are the same as the previous calculations. The only extra thing you must consider is time.
Night time is usually always colder and you will probably want to run it most of the night in winter. One way to minimize cost and save money is to use a plugin timer to turn your space heater off after a couple hours while you drift off to sleep.
If you chose to do this, always make sure that there are no flammable items near the heater and a working smoke alarm installed, plus any extra requirements from the manufacturer. You can set a timer to turn ON and OFF at whatever time and duration you choose. A great timer is the BN- LINK. See below to check it out.
How Much Does It Cost To Run a Space Heater For a Week?
For these calculations, we are using the common 1500w space heater at the average cost of electricity ($0.13/kWh).
Low Setting (500w)
- 8 Hours Per Day for 7 days = $3.64
- 12 Hours Per Day for 7 days = $5.46
Medium Setting (1000w)
- 8 Hours Per Day for 7 days = $7.28
- 12 Hours Per Day for 7 days = $10.92
High Setting (1500w)
- 8 Hours Per Day for 7 days = $10.92
- 12 Hours Per Day for 7 days = $16.38
How Much Does It Cost To Run a Space Heater For a Month?
For these calculations, we are using the common 1500w space heater at the average cost of electricity ($0.13/kWh) for 30 days.
Low Setting (500w)
- 8 Hours Per Day for 30 days = $15.60
- 12 Hours Per Day for 30 days = $23.40
Medium Setting (1000w)
- 8 Hours Per Day for 30 days = $31.20
- 12 Hours Per Day for 30 days = $46.80
High Setting (1500w)
- 8 Hours Per Day for 30 days = $46.80
- 12 Hours Per Day for 30 days = $70.20
Space Heater Fan
One of the most crucial components is the Fan in the Space Heater. It plays also a vital role to disperse the heat throughout your room and fills your room with warmth. There are usually multiple fan speed settings. The good news is that the Fan uses a fraction of the electricity usage of your heater – approximately 5 watts/hour, which is less than $0.01/hour!
Overall
Space Heaters are a very effective way to warm your room. However they tend to be quite expensive to run and have been known to cause house fires, making it extremely important to use your space heater correctly by following the manufacturers requirements.
Space Heaters are quite cheap to purchase and are perfectly safe to use when used in the right way. They have come a long way with safety and efficiency over the years, but they are still less efficient than other heaters on the market.
If you are looking for a very affordable to purchase, and small heater that you use occasionally, then check out our recommendations below.
Our Best Space Heater Recommendations
One of the Most Energy Efficient Space Heaters To Buy
- PTC Ceramic Electric Heating Element
- 1000W High Heat Mode, 500W medium heat mode & normal cool blow fan
- Energy Efficient
- Independent safe On/Off switch & Automatically power off when dumping
- Small Space Heater
- Great size for bedroom, office & motorhome
Price – Around $50
Product Rating – 4.6 Stars
Amazon Best Sellers –
- Portable Electric Oscillating Heater
- 600W and 900W heating modes
- 45-degree rotation
- Over-Heat protection
- Tip-Over protection
- 1 second Quick heating
- Small and Quiet
- Suitable for office home use
Price – Around $30
Product Rating – 4.7 Stars
No products found.
Lasko 754200 Ceramic Portable Space Heater
- 3 Quiet Settings
- Adjustable thermostat
- Adjustable 1500 Watt ceramic heating element
- Built-in safety features
- Carry handle
Price – Around $30
Product Rating – 4.4 Stars
Portable Electric Space Heater
- Adjustable Thermostat, 1500W/750W
- Safe and Quiet Ceramic Heater Fan
- Heat up to 200 Square Feet
- Multi protection safety system
- Quiet and fast heating
- Office, room, desk, indoor use
Price – Around $30
Product Rating – 4.4 Stars
