You can estimate a heater's electricity cost with three numbers: its rated power, the hours it operates, and your price per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Use the label on the exact model and your own electricity bill.
The basic calculation
Cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours × electricity rate per kWh.
For illustration, a 1,500-watt heater running continuously for four hours uses 6 kWh. At a rate of $0.20 per kWh, that is $1.20 per day, or $36.00 over 30 identical days. This is an example, not a price estimate for either featured product or your location.
What changes the real cost?
A thermostat may switch the heating element off for part of the time. Lower power settings may reduce the draw. The room's insulation, outside temperature, open doors, and your chosen temperature affect how long the heater needs to run.
The calculation assumes the entered wattage is used continuously. It excludes fixed bill charges and costs from other heating systems. If your tariff varies by time of day, calculate each period separately.
Is one electric heater automatically more efficient?
Electric resistance heaters turn electrical energy into heat at the point of use. Models drawing the same power for the same time use a similar amount of electricity. Practical differences come from how heat reaches you, controls, thermostat cycling, and whether the warmth suits your activity.
A claim about a smaller electricity bill needs a comparison: the previous heating method, the room, the temperature, and the period of use. Supplemental room heating does not automatically reduce a household's total heating costs.
How to make a useful comparison
- Use the actual power setting you intend to select.
- Estimate heating time separately from the time the appliance is merely plugged in.
- Enter your own electricity rate and currency.
- Consider the cost of the heating already serving the room.
- Review the result after real use rather than treating an estimate as a guarantee.
Try the running-cost calculator →