You’ve undoubtedly seen the infomercials on television or the ads in national magazines, where some manufacturers claim that their “special” space heater will heat your room better than other brands… well, this simply just isn’t true. There are no “special” space heaters.
Almost all electric space heaters have a maximum capacity of 1,500 watts. Because of this, they will all put out the same amount of heat, regardless of what brand or style you decide to purchase. In other words, that fancy $400 wood encased heater, isn’t going to put out any more heat than a $25 plastic one. In most cases, you’re simply paying more for something that just ‘looks’ nicer. (This is not necessarily true with oil-filled radiator heaters – see our first review at the top of the site for additional information).
While it may seem like one type of  space heater generates more heat than another, 1,500 watts is 1,500 watts. Some food for thought when you decide to purchase a unit.

So how much will my Space Heater cost to run?

Most electric space heaters run at a maximum of 1500 watts, which means 1.5 kw per hour or 1.5 kWh. If you have your heater running on its highest setting, non-stop, for an entire month (which is approximately 730 hours), it will cost you an average of $82.13 per-month. While $82 may sound like a lot of money, take into account the fact that you are most likely not going to be using it at full-throttle 24/7, so chances are this dollar amount will probably be less.

You can also save money on your electric bill by buying a space heater that has different temperature control settings. These space heaters will generally go into “standby mode” once the desired room temperature has been reached (which it will then use less electricity), and will only turn back on to half or full power when it needs to keep the room’s temperature at your desired comfort level. As we mentioned earlier, make sure your dwelling is insulated as best as you can, otherwise the space heater may never stop running.

If you want to reduce your electric bill even further while using your space heater(s), unplug any electronic items that you have when they’re not in use (computers, microwave ovens, televisions, etc…), and use the cold water setting to wash your clothes if you have an electric water heater. The main theme here is to unplug any electrical item you aren’t using. It only takes a few seconds to do, and it can greatly reduce your monthly bill – even if you aren’t using a space heater.