Which Type Of Heater Is Cheapest To Run?

Updated February 28, 2025

Winter is fast approaching. Along with the cold breeze on our faces is the very, very cold weather that would require a heater inside homes.

I’m all for getting warm and cozy during the cold winter months but I’m also one to save up on energy costs, whatever it takes. Obviously, I can’t sacrifice the warmth inside our home just to save on energy and electricity bills.

An indoor heater is the best and most practical heating system most households turn to during winter seasons. But having them up and running for months can be costly and will add up to utility bills in the long run.

A great way to counter these heavy costs is by using a heater that’s cheap to run instead. So which type of heater is cheapest to run? The answer to that and more are right below!

How to Calculate Energy Cost

Electricity cost is measured in kWh or kilowatt per hour.

According to data from Choose Energy®, the average residential electricity rate in the United States is 15.95 cents per kilowatt-hour. This can vary greatly depending on which state you live in. But this average rate can help you gauge how much energy you possibly use on running your heater during the cold winter months.

According to their 2022 data, Hawaii has the highest residential electricity rate at 45.73 cents per kilowatt-hour. California, New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire are also among the highest. The state of Washington has the lowest residential electricity rate at only 10.37 cents per kilowatt-hour. Other states with much lower rates include Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Arkansas.

If you wish to know more about the electric energy rates where you live, head on over to their website here.

Which Type Of Heater Is Cheapest To Run?

Running a heater through harsh winter months is important to keep your family warm and cozy. But having it up and running can be expensive once it starts piling up on your utility bills.

Obviously, families will not be sacrificing to live through the harsh cold just to save on utility costs. With a heater that’s cheaper to run, you can be on your way to sitting warmly and cozily without worrying too much about how it affects your electric bills.

For the best types of heaters that are cheapest to run, I’ve got the rundown below!

Halogen Heater

Halogen heaters use radiant heat to heat people or things directly in front of it. Instead of heating up the air inside a room, what it does is heat objects directly.

These are one of the most inexpensive and cheapest electric heater options you can get your hands on. They are great for quickly heating up specific areas and objects, including you.

An electric halogen heater heats up objects directly in front of it instead of the air inside a room, you wouldn’t have to worry about drafty windows or air coming in and out of a room as you would with other heater types. This means even if there is a drafty window inside a room, the heater wouldn’t have to work twice as hard to provide heat.

Halogen heaters are great at quickly heating up objects or people in its direction, but not so much at heating a larger space or room.

Infrared Heater

Like halogen heaters, infrared heaters are radiant heaters that heat up objects directly instead of heating up the air in a room.

Infrared heaters use electromagnetic waves to heat up objects and people in its range. They’re also not affected by drafty windows or cold air coming in and out of a room.

Infrared heaters are great for instant heat and warmth and would not need you to wait for it to warm up the entire space.

The one drawback to this space heater is it isn’t very effective if you want to be heating and warming up larger rooms and spaces.

Oil-Filled Heater

Oil-filled heaters have oil inside the body and radiator. Once switched on, this oil will warm and heat up. The heat will then transfer to the radiator and it will distribute the heat throughout the room.

This type of electric heater takes some time before it heats up. Though the good news is it has long-lasting heat, even long after the unit has been turned off. This is what makes it an energy-efficient heater type.

That being said, it’s best to get an oil-filled heater with a digital timer instead. This way, you can program it to turn on before you need it so you can get home to a warm and cozy home.

Convection Heater

If you want to heat up rooms and spaces instead of direct objects and people, a convention heater would be the way to go.

A convection heater works by sinking cold air down to the bottom of the room. The heater then sucks the cold air in, warms up said cold air, and blows it back out into the room as warm air.

Convection heaters are great at heating up spaces instead of objects. They’re not very expensive to run but would typically take longer to provide effective heating, as opposed to radiant and infrared heating. Drafts also have significant effects on them.

Ceramic Heater

Ceramic heaters use a ceramic heating element to build up warmth and then distribute heat to the air around it. These are pretty common electric room heaters in the market.

Ceramic heaters have proven themselves to be efficient and effective. How much it will cost to run these would largely depend on the specific unit’s wattage and how much you use it.

Most of them have a fan heater feature so it can distribute heat throughout a space.

Other Ways To Cut Down On Energy Costs This Winter Season

To cut down on energy costs, it’s not enough to use the cheapest electric heaters. If you want to ensure to cut down on energy costs this winter season without sacrificing a warm and cozy home, consider these additional tips below:

Check for and cover drafts

Electric heaters will tend to work harder than they should if your home or space has drafty doors and windows. Letting cool air into the room will defeat the purpose of the heater and you will only feel it’s still cold.

When your heater seems to be not working, look for drafts and make sure to seal them off. This often does the trick.

Use a digital timer or a smart thermostat

Another way to cut down on energy costs is by using a digital timer or a smart thermostat with your space heaters. Both devices allow you to use your heater smartly.

With a digital timer, you can set specific times in which the heater will turn itself on or off. With a smart thermostat, your heater can work and warm up your home according to your use and preferences.

Clean and replace air filters on your electric heater

Heaters need clean air filters to function properly. Dirty and dusty air filters will force your heater to work harder than it should. Make sure you clean or replace your unit’s air filter regularly to ensure efficiency.

Conclusion

As the winter season gets closer and closer, it’s a must for households to keep their homes warm and cozy throughout the harsh season.

One effective way to do this is with heaters. But let’s be honest – running a heater isn’t cheap, especially if your family needs one up and running 24/7.

To counter high energy costs this winter season, many are asking which type of heater is cheapest to run.

To give you more energy-saving heater options, we rounded up our list into five types of heater that are cheap to run: