Calculator · Cost
One multiplication, one published rate, and a grid you can find your own answer in. Swap the rate for the one on your bill and the arithmetic still holds.
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Multiply kilowatts by hours by your price per kilowatt-hour. A 1,500 W heater is 1.5 kW, so one hour at the U.S. average residential rate of 18.34¢/kWh costs about 27.5 cents. A 750 W setting costs about 13.8 cents an hour.
The rate behind every figure on this site
18.34¢per kilowatt-hour
U.S. residential average for June 2026. EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, released August 26, 2026.
This is the most recent month EIA has published. Residential rates move seasonally and vary enormously by state — from roughly a dime per kilowatt-hour in parts of the South to more than 40¢ in Hawaii — so treat it as a national reference point, not as your rate.
Your heater, your rate
Per hour
27.5¢
Per 8-hour run
$2.20
Per month (30 days)
$66.02
(1500 ÷ 1,000) × 8 h = 12.00 kWh per run, × $0.1834 per kWh. Figures assume full output for the whole period; a heater with a working thermostat cycles once the room is at temperature, so a real bill in a correctly sized room lands lower.
Running continuously rather than cycling usually means the room needs more watts than the heater has. Check the sizing.
cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours × price per kWh
Worked, for a 1,500 W heater for one hour at 18.34¢: 1,500 ÷ 1,000 = 1.5 kW. 1.5 × 1 = 1.5 kWh. 1.5 × $0.1834 = $0.275. There is no efficiency term because there is nowhere for the energy to go except into your room — a resistive heater turns essentially all of its input into heat.
| Wattage | Per hour | 1 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 500 W | 9.2¢ | $0.09 |
| 750 W | 13.8¢ | $0.14 |
| 900 W | 16.5¢ | $0.17 |
| 1,000 W | 18.3¢ | $0.18 |
| 1,200 W | 22.0¢ | $0.22 |
| 1,500 W | 27.5¢ | $0.28 |
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh — the U.S. residential average for June 2026 (EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, released August 26, 2026). Your rate is on your own bill; substitute it and the arithmetic still holds. Figures assume full output for the whole period.
And the same wattages over a longer run, which is what actually shows up on a bill:
| Wattage | Per hour | 1 h | 4 h | 8 h | 12 h | 24 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750 W | 13.8¢ | $0.14 | $0.55 | $1.10 | $1.65 | $3.30 |
| 1,000 W | 18.3¢ | $0.18 | $0.73 | $1.47 | $2.20 | $4.40 |
| 1,500 W | 27.5¢ | $0.28 | $1.10 | $2.20 | $3.30 | $6.60 |
Computed at 18.34¢/kWh — the U.S. residential average for June 2026 (EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, released August 26, 2026). Your rate is on your own bill; substitute it and the arithmetic still holds. Figures assume full output for the whole period.
Every figure above assumes the heater runs at full output for the whole period. In a correctly sized room with a working thermostat, it does not — it heats the room, cuts out, and draws nothing until the temperature drops again.
That duty cycle is commonly somewhere between 40% and 60% once a room is up to temperature, so a realistic eight-hour night on a 1,500 W heater is closer to $0.90–$1.30 than to the $2.20 the table shows. We publish the full-output figure because it is the one we can compute exactly; the duty cycle depends on your room, your insulation and the outdoor temperature, and quoting a precise number for it would be inventing one.
The rate we publish is the U.S. residential average, and averages hide an enormous spread — U.S. residential electricity ranges from roughly a dime per kilowatt-hour in parts of the South to more than 40¢ in Hawaii. Your own rate is on your bill, usually expressed in cents or dollars per kWh; if the bill only shows a total, divide the electricity charge by the kWh used.
Put that number into the calculator above and every figure on this page becomes yours. That is the entire reason the rate is a visible input rather than baked into the copy: a cost article that hides its rate is one you cannot use.
Ranked for fit, not for hype. Coverage and current draw are computed from each unit’s published wattage. Tap a row for the full write-up, or go straight to the listing.
| # | Product | Best for | Covers | Draw | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LaskoNo photo Lasko 754200The 900 W low setting is the whole point: it is the rare listing that publishes both settings, so you can compute what the cheap mode actually costs instead of guessing. | One person at one desk | 150 sq ft | 12.5 A | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | DreoNo photo Dreo Solaris 718The rare heater whose published coverage claim survives the arithmetic: 1,500 W is a genuine 300 sq ft at 10 W/sq ft, and Dreo publishes that number rather than implying more. | A whole living room | 150 sq ft | 12.5 A | Check price on Amazon |
Coverage computed at 10 W/sq ft, average insulation, 8 ft ceiling. Draw computed as watts ÷ volts. Neither figure is a manufacturer claim.
Top pick · One person at one desk
The 900 W low setting is the whole point: it is the rare listing that publishes both settings, so you can compute what the cheap mode actually costs instead of guessing.
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W high / 900 W low, at 120 V |
| Maker's coverage claim | None published — sold as a desktop heater |
| Thermostat | Adjustable, 11 settings |
| Size | 9.2" tall |
| Other modes | Fan-only |
| Heat type | Ceramic (PTC) |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the coverage figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | No listing mark published in the listing text; check the rating plate for UL or ETL. |
Who it is for
A desk, a small office, a dorm room — somewhere you want heat on a person rather than in a room.
What it is not for
Overnight or unattended use, and not a nursery. Without a published tip-over cutoff it does not belong on carpet next to a bed.
Sources for this entry
2 · A whole living room
The rare heater whose published coverage claim survives the arithmetic: 1,500 W is a genuine 300 sq ft at 10 W/sq ft, and Dreo publishes that number rather than implying more.
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Maker's coverage claim | 300 sq ft |
| Thermostat | 41–95°F digital, 1°F increments |
| Oscillation | 30° / 60° / 90° / 120° |
| Dimensions | 7.9" D x 7.9" W x 29.7" H, 8 lb |
| Safety | Tip-over cutoff, overheat cutoff, child lock, thermal cutoff |
| Heat type | Ceramic (PTC) |
| Maker’s coverage claim | 300 sq ft |
| Safety listing | ETL listed (stated by Dreo on the product page) |
Who it is for
A living room, bedroom or den at or under 300 sq ft with average insulation and an 8-foot ceiling, where you want to set a temperature and stop thinking about it.
What it is not for
A garage, an uninsulated basement, or anything over about 300 sq ft. It is not under-powered — 1,500 W is the plug-in ceiling — the room is simply too big for one outlet.
About 27.5 cents at the U.S. average residential rate of 18.34¢/kWh. The arithmetic is 1.5 kW × 1 hour × $0.1834. At 12¢/kWh it is 18 cents; at 30¢/kWh it is 45 cents.
It depends only on wattage and your electricity rate. At 18.34¢/kWh: 500 W costs 9.2 cents an hour, 750 W costs 13.8 cents, 1,000 W costs 18.3 cents and 1,500 W costs 27.5 cents.
A 1,500 W heater at full output for 24 hours uses 36 kWh, about $6.60 at the U.S. average rate. Over a 30-day month that is roughly $198. A thermostat that cycles will reduce it substantially.
No. At the same wattage, a ceramic, infrared, oil-filled or micathermic heater all consume the same electricity and cost the same per hour. Only the wattage and your rate matter.
The monthly figure at 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours a day — including the 24/7 case, computed.
Where the 750 / 1000 / 1500 W tiers come from, and why 1500 W is a hard ceiling on a U.S. outlet.
A correction, not a product pick: equal wattage means equal cost, and here is what actually varies.
All electric heaters are 100% efficient. These are picked on the three things that actually cut the bill.
Room dimensions in, wattage and BTU out — with both corrections applied and the formula visible.
Per-BTU arithmetic for gas, oil and electric — and the one condition that decides the answer.