Best Space Heater for a Low Electric Bill 2026: Honest Picks

This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

It’s a January evening. The kids are asleep upstairs, you’re on the couch with a book, and the furnace keeps kicking on to heat six rooms nobody is in. Turning it down and warming only the room you’re sitting in sounds like the obvious fix. It can be, but only if you do it the right way, and only if you know what a space heater can and can’t do.

The best space heater for a low electric bill is a 1,500-watt heater with a real thermostat, used to heat one room while you turn the rest of the house down. Our pick is the De’Longhi Dragon digital oil-filled radiator. Every electric resistance heater turns 100% of its electricity into heat, so no model is “cheaper to run” per hour. Savings come only from zone heating.

Below: what a space heater really costs per hour, when it saves money and when it doesn’t, four honest picks, and the safety rules from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. We researched and compared these from maker pages and government sources; we did not test them.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Our top picks

Space heaters compared

Product	Type	Power settings	Thermostat and timer	Safety features the maker lists	About (Oct 2026)
De’Longhi Dragon TRD40615E	Oil-filled radiator	700, 800, 1,500 W	Digital room thermostat, 24-h timer, ECO	Thermal cut-off, tip-over protection, child lock	$189.95
De’Longhi ComforTemp EW7707CM	Oil-filled radiator	3 settings, 1,500 W max	Dial thermostat, ComforTemp setting	Thermal shut-off	$129.95
Lasko 755320	Ceramic tower (fan)	900, 1,500 W	Digital thermostat, 8-h timer	Overheat protection, cool-touch housing, ETL listed	$79.99
Mysa Baseboard V2	Thermostat (not a heater)	Controls your existing baseboards	App schedules	Installed in place of the wall thermostat	$159

The honest truth: no space heater is “more efficient”

The U.S. Department of Energy puts it plainly: electric resistance heating is 100% efficient in the sense that all the electricity going in comes out as heat. That’s true of a $40 ceramic heater, a $190 oil-filled radiator and a heater sold on TV as a miracle. A 1,500-watt heater makes about 5,100 BTU of heat an hour, whatever the box looks like.

What differs between models is how that heat reaches you. A fan heater warms the air fast. An oil-filled radiator heats up slowly, stays warm and, in DOE’s words, provides “a more constant heat source” because the oil stores heat and the heater cycles less. A radiant (infrared) heater warms you and the things in its line of sight, which DOE says can be the more efficient choice when you’ll be in a room for only a few hours and can stay in front of it. None of these change the cost of a kilowatt-hour.

So when a listing promises to “cut your heating bill in half,” be skeptical. Our guide to electricity-saving device scams covers the claims to ignore.

What a space heater costs to run

The math is simple: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × your price per kWh. At the 2025 U.S. average of 17.30 cents per kWh (EIA), our estimates:

Setting	Per hour	8 hours a day	30 days at 8 h
1,500 W (high)	about 26¢	about $2.08	about $62
900 W (Lasko low)	about 16¢	about $1.25	about $37
700 W (De’Longhi low)	about 12¢	about $0.97	about $29

These are worst-case estimates: with a thermostat, the heater switches off once the room is warm, so real use is usually lower. Your rate may be far from the average, so use the price on your own bill. A smart plug with energy monitoring rated for the load shows the real number, but check that the plug is rated for a 1,500-watt heater and that the heater’s manual allows it.

When a space heater saves money, and when it doesn’t

It can save money when you turn the main thermostat down and heat only the room you’re using. DOE says space heaters “can be less expensive to use if you only want to heat one room,” and that zone heating (warming occupied rooms while unused rooms stay cooler) can save more than 20% compared with heating the whole house, especially when the cooler rooms are closed off from the warm ones.

It won’t save money when:

• You don’t turn the house down. A heater running on top of the furnace only adds to the bill.
• You heat with a heat pump. DOE says heat pumps easily cut electricity use by about 50% compared with resistance heat. Running a space heater instead of your heat pump can cost more for the same warmth. See our heat pump guide.
• You heat with gas and electricity is expensive. DOE notes that electric heat is often more expensive than heat from combustion appliances. Zone heating still helps if most of the house is turned well down.
• You run several heaters. Two or three 1,500-watt heaters running for hours each is whole-house electric heating at resistance prices.
• The room leaks heat. Drafty windows undo the gain. Cheap window insulation film and weatherstripping help first.

The best space heaters for a lower bill

1. De’Longhi Dragon Digital (TRD40615E): best overall

The Dragon is a 1,500-watt oil-filled radiator with three power levels (700, 800 and 1,500 W), a digital room thermostat, a 24-hour timer and an ECO function. A thermostat that holds the room at the temperature you set is what keeps a space heater from wasting energy, and DOE recommends choosing a thermostatically controlled heater for exactly that reason. The timer lets you warm a home office before you start work and shut off when you’re done. De’Longhi lists thermal cut-off, tip-over protection, a child lock and an anti-freeze setting. The oil is sealed in and never needs refilling. It weighs about 25.6 lb and rolls on casters. De’Longhi includes a 2-year warranty.

• Good: real thermostat and timer, so it runs only as much as needed; silent (no fan); steady heat; tip-over protection listed.
• Watch out: slow to warm a cold room; heavy; costs more than a ceramic heater for the same 1,500 W of heat.
• Best for: bedrooms, home offices and living rooms you use for hours at a time.

Check the De'Longhi Dragon price on Amazon

2. De’Longhi ComforTemp (EW7707CM): best budget oil-filled

The ComforTemp is the simpler version: 1,500 W, three heat settings, an adjustable dial thermostat and a “ComforTemp” button that holds a comfortable temperature for you. De’Longhi lists thermal shut-off protection and an anti-freeze setting, which turns the heater on when a room gets cold enough to risk frozen pipes. It has seven sealed oil fins, weighs about 23 lb and comes with snap-on wheels. De’Longhi markets it as up to 20% more efficient; that comes from the thermostat setting avoiding overheating, not from making more heat per watt.

• Good: quiet oil-filled heat for less money; thermostat; anti-freeze mode for a cold room or porch.
• Watch out: no timer or digital readout; the maker page we read lists thermal shut-off but doesn’t mention a tip-over switch, so check the box before you buy.
• Best for: a steady, quiet heater for one room on a budget.

Check the De'Longhi ComforTemp price on Amazon

3. Lasko Digital Ceramic Tower (755320): best for quick heat

When you want warmth now, say for 30 minutes at a desk or in a bathroom before a shower, a fan heater is better than a radiator that takes a while to warm up. Lasko’s 23-inch tower has two settings (900 and 1,500 W), an adjustable digital thermostat, an 8-hour timer, oscillation and a remote. Lasko lists automatic overheat protection, a cool-touch housing and ETL listing, and covers it with a 3-year limited warranty. At 7.3 lb it’s easy to carry from room to room. The low 900-watt setting is a good default for a small room.

• Good: fast heat; light; thermostat and timer; low price; 3-year warranty.
• Watch out: fan noise; the room cools quickly when it shuts off; the maker page doesn’t mention a tip-over switch; it showed sold out on lasko.com when we checked.
• Best for: short bursts of heat in a small room.

Check the Lasko 755320 price on Amazon

4. Mysa Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboard V2: best for baseboard-heated homes

If your home already has electric baseboard heaters, a space heater won’t save you anything: it’s the same resistance heat. Baseboards are already zone heaters, as DOE notes, and the savings come from controlling each room well. Mysa’s line-voltage thermostat (120–240 V) replaces the wall thermostat for a baseboard or fan-forced heater and lets you schedule each room from an app, with no subscription. Line-voltage thermostats carry full household voltage, so hire a licensed electrician unless you’re qualified to do it.

• Good: turns every baseboard room into a scheduled zone; no subscription; no extra heater to trip over.
• Watch out: one thermostat per heater circuit adds up; installation means working with 120–240 V wiring.
• Best for: apartments and homes heated by electric baseboards.

Check the Mysa baseboard thermostat price on Amazon

Space heater safety (CPSC rules)

Cheap heat is no bargain if it starts a fire. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that portable heaters, including electric space heaters, were involved in an average of 1,600 fires a year from 2020 to 2022, with an average of 70 deaths and 150 injuries a year. CPSC’s January 2026 advice:

• Three feet of space. Keep heaters at least three feet from drapes, furniture, bedding and anything else that can burn.
• Straight into the wall. Plug electric space heaters directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip.
• Off when you sleep. Turn heaters off when you go to bed and when you leave the room.

DOE adds: buy a heater that carries the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label (ETL is another recognized testing lab), a thermostat and a tip-over switch that shuts it off if it’s knocked over; choose the right size for the room rather than an oversized one; set it on a level surface away from foot traffic; and keep children and pets away. DOE does not recommend unvented fuel-burning heaters indoors because of carbon monoxide; if you use any fuel-burning heater, install a carbon monoxide alarm. Keep working smoke alarms on every level, too.

How to choose a space heater that keeps the bill down

• Get a real thermostat. A digital or dial thermostat that cycles the heater off is the single feature that matters most for cost. Avoid heaters that only have “low/high.”
• Pick the type for how you use the room. Oil-filled for hours of steady heat; ceramic fan heaters for quick, short heat; radiant for sitting in one spot for a short time.
• Don’t pay for “efficiency” claims. All 1,500 W electric heaters make the same heat. Pay for the thermostat, timer, safety features and warranty.
• Use a low setting in small rooms. 700 to 900 W is often enough for a small, closed room.
• Turn the central heat down. Lower your main thermostat; our winter bill guide covers settings and the other big savers.
• Check the safety label and tip-over switch before you buy, and read the manual’s rules on cords and placement.

Keep exploring

Start with our guide on how to lower your electric bill, then see how to lower your electric bill in winter and what uses the most electricity at home. If you’re replacing old electric heat, a window heat pump or a heat pump uses far less electricity than any space heater. Learn how heat moves in thermal energy and radiant energy, and browse every energy-saving tip.

Space heater questions

What is the most energy-efficient space heater?

For electric resistance heaters, there isn’t one: DOE says they all turn 100% of their electricity into heat. A 1,500-watt heater makes the same heat whether it’s ceramic, oil-filled or infrared. What saves energy is a good thermostat, a timer, the right size for the room, and turning the rest of the house down.

How much does it cost to run a space heater all night?

At 1,500 W for 8 hours, about 12 kWh, or about $2.08 at the 2025 U.S. average of 17.30 cents per kWh (EIA). That’s an estimate; a thermostat cuts it. But CPSC advises turning space heaters off when you sleep, so warm the bedroom before bed and use an extra blanket instead.

Is it cheaper to run a space heater or central heat?

It depends on your system and prices. Heating one room with a space heater while the central thermostat is turned well down can be cheaper. Running a space heater instead of a heat pump usually isn’t, because heat pumps use about half the electricity for the same heat (DOE). Compare your own electricity and gas rates.

Are oil-filled heaters cheaper to run than ceramic heaters?

Not per watt. Both make the same heat from the same electricity. Oil-filled radiators hold heat and cycle less, which feels more even over hours. Ceramic fan heaters warm a room faster for short use. Choose by how you use the room, then use the thermostat.

Can I plug a space heater into an extension cord or power strip?

No. CPSC says to plug electric space heaters directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip. A 1,500-watt heater draws about 12.5 amps, close to the limit of a 15-amp circuit, so avoid running other big appliances on the same circuit.

Do “energy-saving” space heaters really cut your bill in half?

No heater can make more than about 3,412 BTU of heat from each kilowatt-hour of electricity. Any savings come from heating less space, not from special technology. Treat big percentage promises as marketing, and see our guide to electricity-saving scams.