Space heaters come in many different sizes and offer many options depending on your room size. It’s always best to choose a heater that’s suitable for the room you want to heat, as this will allow it to run more efficiently than a unit that’s too small.
Below we’ll look at how many watts the average space heater uses and what options there are for larger or smaller units. We’ll also look at some common questions regarding how many watts a space heater uses.
How Many Watts Does A Space Heater Use?
This is measured per hour so that consumers have a uniform measurement to compare different units and their power consumption.
Although 1500 watts is the most common, there are other options for space heaters that go down to 200 watts, such as this highly-rated Lasko Heating Space Heater.
You can generally find units all the way up to 1000 watts as well.
Another thing to note is that most space heaters have settings, generally low, medium, and high.
For a 1500 watt space heater, this equates to 500, 1000, and 1500 watts respectively.
Do Space Heaters Use A Lot Of Electricity?
While this can be relative, space heaters use about the same electricity as other large home appliances. So in some respects, they do use a lot of electricity, however it’s not more than a typical appliance.
The difference is a space heater runs more often than most home appliances, so over time it uses more electricity.
Electric Heater Wattage FAQ
How many watts does a small space heater use on low?
Space heaters are measured in wattage and the smallest space heater is generally around 200 watts. The 200 watt designation means per hour.
So the smallest heater will use a little over 3x the electricity of a common light bulb per hour.
The higher up in wattage a space heater is, the more power it will consume.
For reference, the average space heater is 1500 watts. A good example of a 1500 watt space heater is this popular Black + Decker Portable Space Heater.
How much electricity does a space heater use per hour?
This depends on the size and settings of the space heater. The most common size for space heaters is 1500 watts. So this would equate to 1500 watts per hour if running constantly.
Generally, space heaters of this size will have settings to reduce the power consumption as well as the heat output. These settings are usually in 500 watt increments.
So if a high setting is 1500 watts, the medium setting would be 1000 watts and the lowest setting will be 500 watts. All wattage is per hour of usage.
How much does it cost to run a 1500 watt heater for 2 hours?
This depends on how much electricity costs in your area, which can vary quite a bit. Also, most utility companies charge different rates at different times of the day.
So below we’ll look at the average cost, although your actual cost may be different.
Firstly, we must convert watts to kilowatts, as your utility company charges you by the kilowatt hour. A kilowatt is 1000 watts.
So in the case of a 1500 watt space heater, it is using 1.5 kilowatts per hour, or 3 kilowatts for the 2 hour period in question.
Next, we look at the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour. For this, you can check your utility bill. But for simplicity, let’s use the average of $0.10 per kilowatt hour.
So, with these numbers, a 1500 watt space heater would use $0.30 USD of electricity for 2 hours.
Will a 3500 watt generator run a space heater?
Yes. A 3500 watt generator can safely run a space heater that consumes 1500 watts of electricity per hour.
Generally, you want at least a rating of 500 watts over what the device plugged into the generator consumes. So the minimum generator you would want to use for a 1500 watt space heater is 2000 watts.
Using a 1500 watt generator to power a 1500 watt space heater would risk blowing a fuse.
Also to note, powering a space heater with a generator is a highly inefficient combination. It should only be used in an emergency or for a temporary situation.
How much electricity does a space heater use per day?
A 1500 watt space heater running for 24 hours would use 36000 watts of electricity. This would be 36 kilowatt-hours. So at an average of $0.10 per kilowatt hour, it would cost $3.60 per day to run a 1500 watt space heater
For an exact calculation it would depend on many factors, such as the size of the space heater and the size of the room. The cost of electricity in your area may also be higher or lower than used in the calculation here.
The quality of the insulation in the room you are heating often plays a large role in how much energy is used to heat it. The better the insulation, the lower your heating costs will be.
How much will using a space heater raise my electric bill?
This depends on the watts of the heater and how often you use it. But a typical space heater that is 1500 watts can cost as much as $3.60 to operate. This is calculated with the heater running non-stop.
The actual hours you use the space heater can vary. But typically, running a space heater daily can add $40 or more to your bill with heavy use.
Are space heaters more efficient than baseboard heaters?
In general no, but they are much cheaper and easier to install. A space heater is relatively inexpensive and can be plugged into any room. If needed, it can be moved quickly as well.
Baseboard heaters are more efficient, but cost more and usually require professional installation.
Because of this, if you need to quickly heat one room, a space heater is often the cheapest alternative.
How much will a 1500 watt space heater heat?
A 1500 watt space heater should comfortably heat a 10 x 15 room. As a general rule of thumb, you need about 10 watts per square foot of room space.
So in the example above, 150 square feet needs 1500 watts to comfortably warm the area.
Other examples would be 1000 watts to warm a 100 square foot room, or a 10 x 10 room. Finally, a 750 watt heater would be advisable for a 750 square foot room.
Using this guideline should give you a way to accurately estimate how many watts you would need to heat the room you have. Just remember, things like insulation and outside air temperature play a big role as well.
A room inside a modern house with good insulation is easier to heat than an outdoor workshop or steel building. Also, areas with mild winters will make it easier to warm a room than areas with sub-zero temperatures.
How many watts does central electric heat use?
An all-electric central heating unit can use upwards of 40000 watts to operate. Quite a bit more than a 1500 watt space heater.
But remember, these are more efficient and often run for much shorter times than a space heater. So over the course of a month, they are far more efficient than a space heater.
This is why space heaters should only be used to warm one room and not as a main source of heat. They are too inefficient to be used for whole home heating and the costs will quickly add up.
Final Words About How Much Power Does A Space Heater Use
When it comes to space heaters, their size and watt-hours are pretty standard so the power they consume is about the same.
The real differences that matter are the size of the room you want to heat and the outside temperature, along with how well the room is insulated.
Following the guidelines in this article should give you a good basis for understanding how much power your space heater is using.