If you’re the type of person who wants to be as warm and toasty as possible during the winter, consider getting a space heater. These handy devices are portable, so you can move them into whatever room you want to heat up. Whether you use a space heater as the primary heating source for a small area or just to enhance your comfort, you might wonder how much power it consumes as you try to budget.
Knowing the estimated electric consumption of space heaters can help you understand what it might cost to run these devices. Everything you need to know about space heater consumption appears below.
How Is Electrical Use Calculated?
When calculating electrical use, you’ll often come across these terms:
- Volts: How fast electricity passes through a circuit
- Watts: The rate of energy consumption
- Amps: How many electrons flow through a circuit
Typically, utility companies use kilowatt-hours to measure your property’s electrical consumption. In the United States, the average home consumes about 940 kilowatt-hours per month.
Additional Read: Energy Saving Tips for Manufacturers, Industries, And Business
How Much Electricity Does a Space Heater Use?
How much electricity does a space heater use? Space heater electricity consumption varies, but the average system uses 1,500 and 1,800 watts in an hour (1.5 to 1.8 kilowatt-hours). Using your space heater for eight hours each day could turn into 84 kilowatt-hours a week, which is over 1,800 kilowatt-hours annually.
The actual wattage can vary depending on the size of the space heater you’re using and your power supply. You can plug most systems into a 120-volt outlet. It uses 15 amps or so.
How Much Does It Cost To Run an Electric Heater?
Estimating the electric consumption of space heaters is the first step in figuring out how much they cost to run. Costs vary depending on your power source and the local utility rates, but the 2023 average rate for a single kilowatt-hour of electricity in the United States was about 12 cents. To calculate the cost of running a electric heater, you would multiply the rate (in cents) by the kilowatt-hours your space heater uses.
Say your space heater consumes about 1,500 watts per hour, and the going rate in your area is 12 cents per kWh. To calculate the total energy cost of your heater, you’ll use the following equation:
12 cents per kWh x 1.5 kilowatts = 18 cents per hour
In this example, running your space heater will cost about 18 cents per hour, or $4.32 daily, if you run it eight hours a day.
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Factors Affecting Energy Use
Measuring the energy cost of heaters goes beyond the local utility rates.
How Many Watts Does a Space Heater Use?
The average space heater wattage rating is 1,500 to 1,800 watts. How can you tell what your averages are? Typically, you’ll find the wattage rating on your space heater label or the owner’s manual.
The higher the wattage, the higher the space heater’s power consumption. However, space heaters with wattages above 1,800 or as low as 500 watts are available.
How Long You Run Your Space Heater
Running a space heater for eight hours daily will cost you more than running it for just two or three hours. It’s not uncommon for people to use their space heaters for most of the day when winter rolls around. Unfortunately, the longer you run it, the higher you’ll push your energy bills.
Whether You Unplugged the Heater
Even if it’s off, a space heater will still draw some power when you have it plugged in. We call this the heater’s “phantom load.”
On average, a space heater’s phantom load consumes between one and two watts of power per hour. Compared to the 1,500 watts it consumes when on, this number seems minuscule, but it adds up. If you’re on a budget, unplug the heater when not in use.
Usage Tips for Reducing Energy Use With a Space Heater
If you’re looking to reduce space heater power usage to save money and reduce energy consumption during the winter, consider these helpful tips:
- Find other sources of warmth: If you want to reduce energy consumption while staying warm, bundle up, start a fire in the fireplace, or find other sources of warmth so that you don’t need to run your space heater.
- Get an ENERGY STAR heater: Energy-efficient systems cost you less to run. They consume a lot less power.
- Consider going solar: An excellent way to reduce your monthly utility bills is by finding another power source. Solar panels provide complete independence from the utility company, so you don’t have to worry as much about the electric consumption of space heaters.
How Much Money Can Solar Panels Save You?
If you’re looking to maximize space heater efficiency and are considering going the solar route, you’re probably wondering how much solar panels can save you. How many watts does a space heater use? This comes into play when calculating whether a complete solar system setup can eliminate your reliance on the utility company and save you money on lower utility bills.
Calculating your monthly energy bills can help you determine how much money solar panels can save you. For example, if we use the average electricity rate of 12 cents per kilowatt-hour and the average home consumption of 940 kilowatts per month, you could potentially save $112.80 each month by going solar.
Install Solar Panels To Power Your Space Heater With Verde Solutions
When it comes to electricity use, heaters will draw different amounts of power depending on the type you get. Going solar allows you to run your space heater without increasing your monthly utility bill, which is a great option.
At Verde Solutions, we’re passionate about helping properties embrace the innovative and far-reaching benefits of solar panel installation. If you have concerns about the electric consumption of space heaters and want to take advantage of all that renewable energy has to offer, call (800) 541-1137!
