While inexpensive to purchase, space heaters can be quite costly to operate. Space heaters usually have up to three settings: 600, 900 or 1,500 watts. Assuming the 1,500-watt setting is used, every hour of operation costs 17.2¢.
Run it for eight hours a day and the cost is $1.38. Do that everyday for a month and that lone space heater will add $41.36 to your electric bill. If you were to use that space heater 24 hours a day the monthly cost of operation would be $124.08. If you have multiple space heaters the bill just continues to climb.
That being said, limited space heater runs can be cost justified if you want to use them for a very short period of time in an area where you temporarily want to raise the temperature without warming the entire house such as the bathroom while you shower or bathe.
More ways to save
From weatherization guides to energy consultations, Tideland EMC offers many ways to save money and energy.