How many watts does a space heater use?

Heating and cooling bills are some of the biggest expenses of owning or renting property. For that reason, it's important to know just how much electricity a space heater uses when you're looking at your whole home's energy usage.

Generally, space heaters use 1,500 watts (W) of electricity, depending on the model. Most space heaters use about 15 amps and connect to a 120-volt outlet.

How much you run your space heater has the biggest impact on how much electricity it uses over time. Assuming you run your space heater for 8 hours per day for five months of the year:

How much electricity do space heaters use?

*Assuming 8 hours of operation per day
**Assuming five months of operation per year

Different wattage space heaters use different amounts of electricity over the course of a year. Assuming again that the average space heater is run for 8 hours per day for five months of the year, here's how much electricity you'll use over the course of a full calendar year:

How many watts do different space heaters use in a year?

We'll mostly be referring to the electricity used by space heaters in terms of kWh in this article. The reason is simple: your electric bill is measured in kWh, and you get charged based on the kWh of electricity you use per month!

When you get your monthly electric bill, you only get to see the total amount you're charged, not how much each appliance contributes to your final bill. Based on an average wattage of 1,500 W for space heaters (amounting to 1,820 kWh/year if you use your space heater like an average household would) and using state average electricity rates, here's how the cost to run a space heater pans out over the course of a month and a year:

Monthly and yearly costs to run a space heater by state

Note: average electricity rates are based on October 2021 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

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What's the best time to run a space heater?

If you're on a time-of-use (TOU) rate plan, you are charged different amounts for electricity throughout the day. In general, it's cheaper to use a space heater during "off-peak” hours, which are usually overnight. For a space heater, you may have less of an option, as you'll just need to run it when it's colder.

What size battery do you need to back up a space heater?

Most lithium-ion batteries like the Tesla Powerwall or Generac PWRcell have a power rating of 4 to 5 kW or higher and 10+ kWh of usable capacity. Space heaters use about 1,500 W (1.5 kW) of power at any one time, meaning you'll be able to power a space heater for a somewhat short amount of time with most batteries. To keep it running for longer, you might need several batteries together.

How many solar panels does it take to power a space heater?

Average space heaters use 1,500 W of electricity to stay powered. On average, solar panels are rated at around 350 W, meaning you'll be able to power a space heater with four to five solar panels.

What are ENERGY STAR appliances?

ENERGY STAR is a U.S. government-backed system that certifies how energy-efficient appliances are. If an appliance is better than the average appliance in its category by a certain amount, it is labeled as "ENERGY STAR certified." ENERGY STAR appliances cost less money to run, given that they are more efficient with the electricity they use.

Solar savings vary widely, and your unique savings depends on factors like electricity usage, your location, electric rates and plans, and more. In general, most homeowners can expect to save somewhere between $10,000 and $30,000 over the lifetime of a solar panel system. On average, it takes between 7 and 8 years for most homeowners who shop for solar on EnergySage to get their solar panels to pay for themselves.

Going solar is one of the most effective ways to reduce or eliminate your electric bill, and you should make sure you are getting several quotes from reputable installers before you decide to move forward. Visit the EnergySage Marketplace to get solar quotes from installers in your area and begin comparing options.