Winter heating
Warm room, fair bill. Know what that heater costs.
Prices updated · How we calculate this
Your heater, your state
Space heater, per month
$65
- Per hour: $0.27 at 18.2¢ per kWh (US average)
- Per day: $2.18
The same heat for a month from
- A gas furnace: $23
- A heat pump: $30
A space heater only saves money when it lets you turn the whole-house thermostat down and heat just the room you are in.
How the calculation works
Cost per hour = watts ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh. Plug-in heaters top out at 1,500watts on high because that is the most a standard household outlet can supply continuously; most have a 750-watt low setting. Electricity prices are each state's average residential price for January–July 2026 from the US Energy Information Administration.
The furnace comparison delivers the same heat from natural gas at your state's 2025 annual average residential gas price (EIA), burned at 80% efficiency, the federal minimum. The heat pump comparison uses the federal minimum seasonal rating for new heat pumps, about 2.2 units of heat per unit of electricity.
Space heater cost in every state
A 1,500-watt heater on high, 8 hours a day for 30 days, next to the same heat from a gas furnace and a heat pump. Most expensive first.
| # | State | Per hour | Per month | Gas furnace | Heat pump |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $0.69 | $167 | $78 | $76 |
| 2 | California | $0.50 | $120 | $33 | $54 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $0.45 | $109 | $37 | $49 |
| 4 | Maine | $0.45 | $108 | $28 | $49 |
| 5 | New York | $0.44 | $106 | $26 | $48 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $0.44 | $105 | $32 | $48 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $0.42 | $101 | $25 | $46 |
| 8 | Alaska | $0.41 | $98 | $19 | $44 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $0.40 | $96 | $28 | $44 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $0.37 | $89 | $25 | $40 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $0.36 | $86 | $21 | $39 |
| 12 | Vermont | $0.36 | $86 | $27 | $39 |
| 13 | Michigan | $0.32 | $78 | $16 | $35 |
| 14 | Maryland | $0.32 | $77 | $24 | $35 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $0.32 | $76 | $22 | $34 |
| 16 | Illinois | $0.29 | $69 | $17 | $31 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $0.29 | $68 | $16 | $31 |
| 18 | Ohio | $0.28 | $67 | $21 | $31 |
| 19 | Delaware | $0.27 | $64 | $24 | $29 |
| 20 | Indiana | $0.26 | $61 | $17 | $28 |
| 21 | Virginia | $0.25 | $61 | $25 | $28 |
| 22 | Colorado | $0.25 | $60 | $17 | $27 |
| 23 | Alabama | $0.25 | $60 | $26 | $27 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $0.24 | $59 | $16 | $27 |
| 25 | Texas | $0.24 | $58 | $29 | $26 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $0.24 | $57 | $25 | $26 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $0.23 | $56 | $20 | $25 |
| 28 | Arizona | $0.23 | $56 | $28 | $25 |
| 29 | Georgia | $0.23 | $55 | $30 | $25 |
| 30 | Oregon | $0.23 | $55 | $25 | $25 |
| 31 | Florida | $0.23 | $55 | $38 | $25 |
| 32 | Kansas | $0.23 | $55 | $22 | $25 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $0.23 | $55 | $25 | $25 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $0.23 | $54 | $15 | $25 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $0.22 | $54 | $24 | $24 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $0.22 | $52 | $15 | $24 |
| 37 | Washington | $0.22 | $52 | $26 | $24 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $0.21 | $51 | $21 | $23 |
| 39 | Iowa | $0.21 | $51 | $16 | $23 |
| 40 | Missouri | $0.21 | $50 | $22 | $23 |
| 41 | Montana | $0.21 | $50 | $13 | $23 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $0.21 | $50 | $17 | $23 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $0.21 | $50 | $18 | $23 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $0.20 | $49 | $29 | $22 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $0.20 | $49 | $21 | $22 |
| 46 | Nevada | $0.20 | $49 | $19 | $22 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $0.20 | $48 | $26 | $22 |
| 48 | Utah | $0.20 | $47 | $15 | $22 |
| 49 | Idaho | $0.19 | $47 | $11 | $21 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $0.19 | $46 | $17 | $21 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $0.19 | $44 | $14 | $20 |
When the power goes out
A space heater is the one thing a portable power station cannot run for long: 1,500 watts empties a 1,000 Wh unit in well under an hour. In a winter outage, use a power station for the furnace blower, lights, phones and the fridge, and keep warm with layers in one closed-off room. See backup power for outages.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a space heater?
A standard 1,500-watt space heater on high uses 1.5 kWh an hour. At the US average residential electricity price of 18.2¢ per kWh (January–July 2026, EIA), that is about $0.27 an hour, $2.18 for 8 hours, or about $65 a month at 8 hours a day.
Is a space heater cheaper than central heat?
Per unit of heat, usually not. The same heat from a gas furnace at the federal minimum 80% efficiency costs about $0.09 an hour on the US average gas price, and from a heat pump about $0.12. A space heater saves money only when it lets you turn the whole-house thermostat down and heat one room instead of the whole home. On 2026 prices, furnace heat is cheaper than space heater heat in every state.
Where is a space heater most expensive to run?
Hawaii, at 46.3¢ per kWh: about $0.69 an hour on high. The cheapest is North Dakota at 12.4¢ per kWh, about $0.19 an hour.
Do some space heaters use less electricity than others?
Not for the same heat. Every electric resistance heater, whether ceramic, oil-filled, infrared or a fan heater, turns each kWh into the same amount of heat. A heater rated 1,500 watts on high puts out the same heat as any other 1,500-watt heater. What differs is how the heat reaches you and how well the thermostat holds the room temperature. Only a heat pump gets more heat from the same electricity.
Is it safe to leave a space heater on?
Plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip. Keep it at least 3 feet from anything that can burn, such as bedding, curtains and furniture, and turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep. Pick one with tip-over and overheat shutoff.
Estimates only. Your actual costs depend on your utility's rate plan, how and when you charge or use power, and local prices. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. See our disclaimer.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Tables 5.6.A and 5.6.B — July 2026 YTD (year to date); latest month July 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Prices: price delivered to residential consumers — 2025 annual average
- Federal efficiency standards for home appliances, 10 CFR 430.32 — furnace and heat pump minimum efficiency
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Portable heater safety
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