Cost to run a space heater

Cost to Run a Space Heater (Are they expensive to Run?)

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A person who thinks about whether they can afford a space heater or not because of the cost to run a space heater. This article will clear your confusion as explained by using a simple formula to find out the cost to run a space heater and which is the most efficient space heater. 

Cost to run a space heater

On average, the cost to run a space heater is $1.66 per 8 hours. This figure is noted by assuming a space heater of 1500 watts and an electricity rate average of 13.84 cents per kilowatt hour. 

Cost to run a space heater
Cost to run a space heater

The below-given table shows the list of different watts of a space heater and costs to run a space heater at different duration:

Heater wattageCost per hourCost for 8 hoursCost for 24 hours
750 watt$0.10$0.83$2.49
1000 watt$0.14$1.11$3.32
1200 watt$0.17$1.33$3.99
1500 watt$0.21$1.66$4.99
3000 watt$0.42$3.36$10.08

Below we have mentioned a few ways to find out the cost to run a space heater. 

The cost to run a space heater by checking 21 space heater models:

The following table shows the list of 21 different space heaters having different power consumption and costs to run per month. 

Heatertypewattsmonthly cost in dollar
Lasko 106Ceramic2007.2
AmazonBasics HeaterCeramic50018
Bojing Portable IndoorCeramic90032.4
DOUHE PortableCeramic90032.4
COMLIFE HeaterCeramic120043.2
Duraflame 3DInfrared150054
Lifesmart EasyInfrared150054
Vornado VH200Electric150054
Lasko 754200Ceramic150054
Dr Infrared HeaterInfrared150054
De’Longhi TCH8093ERCeramic150054
Honeywell HCE200WCeramic150054
Lasko AW300 Air LogicCeramic150054
Heat Storm HS-1500-PHX-WIFIInfrared150054
DeLonghi EW7707CMOil-Filled150054
Pelonis HeaterOil-Filled150054
Dyson Pure Hot + CoolElectric157556.7
Stiebel Eltron CKT 20EElectric200072
Cadet RCP402SElectric4000144

Note:

You can’t determine the efficiency of the space heater by just calculating the electricity cost of a space heater. 

Cost to run a space heater
Cost to run a space heater

Calculating the electricity cost of running a space heater:

The following are a few steps to find the electricity cost to run a space heater:

  • For finding the electricity cost per kilowatt hour you need to look at the last electricity bill which will show the average US household electricity cost by State.
  • Find the running hours of a space heater for a day as if the running time is 8 hours per day in winter and one hour per day in summer, then consider the average amount of hours from both of them.
  • Calculate the electricity cost to run a space heater by using the formula:
  • Cost to run a space heater per hour = electricity cost × power ÷ 1000.

Let’s understand it by taking an example, consider an infrared heater of 1500 watts then the cost to run a space heater for an hour = $0.1566 × 1500W ÷ 1000 = 0? 2319 per hour. 

Here we have considered the electricity rate of 15.56 cents per kilowatt hour. 

Factors on which the cost of electricity depends:

The cost to run a space heater depends upon two parameters. 

  • Personal electricity rate
  • Power usage of the space heater. 

Electricity rate:

You can easily find the electricity rate by looking at the last electricity bill. 

Power usage:

The power used by space heaters to run can easily be found on the packaging or on the space heater. the power of a space heater will show how much heat a space heater can deliver. This will learn about the efficiency of a space heater. 

Which is the most efficient space heater? 

Power is not only considered the factor to generate more heat output but efficiency is also considered as different types of space heaters have different types of efficiency for example infrared heaters are considered the most efficient heater because they get heat up within a second but they are not a good choice for heating the whole room. They are considered the most efficient heater because they are 40% more efficient than others because they do focus the heat in One Direction only and you can easily focus and heat the object in that direction. For heating the whole room the oil field radiators are considered the most efficient heater but they need more time to heat but still produce a lot of warm Air which is good for a room. The following are some points on which the efficiency depends: The efficiency of a heater depends upon how and what you are going to heat with the heater the following are some types of space heaters explaining where they are best to use:

  • Infrared heaters are considered the most efficient for heating a single object or a limited space in a room. 
  • Ceramic heaters are considered the most efficient for heating a small room quickly. 
  • An oil-filled heater is most efficient to use for heating a large room. 
  • Propane heaters are the most efficient as they are suitable for instant heat. 

Conclusion:

The estimated cost to run a typical space heater per month is considered $54  for using it 8 hours a day. The cost of the electricity to run a space heater depends upon the power usage by the heater. It is independent of the heater type and depends upon the local electricity rate. The only way to decrease the cost to run a space heater is by using a space heater efficiently. 

Rick Costa
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