U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated

Heating · Pennsylvania

How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Baseboard Heater in Pennsylvania?

The short answer

Running a 1,500W electric baseboard heater in Pennsylvania costs about $0.33 an hour. At 8 hours a day, that’s roughly $79.29 a month and $951 a year.

That’s based on Pennsylvania’s average residential rate of 21.7¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 19% above the US average.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

Electric Baseboard Heater cost by daily use in Pennsylvania

Cost at 21.7¢/kWh, the Pennsylvania average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 45.6 $0.33 $9.91 $119
2 hours/day 91.3 $0.65 $19.82 $238
4 hours/day 182.5 $1.30 $39.64 $476
8 hours/day 365.0 $2.61 $79.29 $951
12 hours/day 547.6 $3.91 $119 $1,427
24 hours/day 1,095.1 $7.82 $238 $2,854

Pennsylvania vs other states

At typical use, an electric baseboard heater costs $951 a year in Pennsylvania — $1,151 less than in Hawaii and $394 more than in Louisiana.

Pennsylvania has the 14th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Pennsylvania electricity rates · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Pennsylvania

21.7¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.3% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running an electric baseboard heater

Baseboard heaters are wall-mounted resistance heaters wired into a 240V circuit. Like space heaters, they convert electricity to heat at about 100%, and size determines cost: roughly 250 watts per linear foot. A home heated entirely by baseboards may have several units per room, so multiply by the number of units running. Enter the hours per day the heater is actually on — line-voltage thermostats cycle them on and off to hold the set temperature.

  • Install programmable line-voltage thermostats to lower temperatures when rooms are empty.
  • Keep furniture and curtains at least 6 inches away so heat can circulate.
  • Heating a whole home with baseboards? A ductless mini-split heat pump can cut heating costs by half or more.
  • Winters in Pennsylvania are long, so heating appliances often run more hours here than the national default — adjust the hours above to match your home.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run an electric baseboard heater for 24 hours in Pennsylvania?

Running a 1,500W electric baseboard heater for 24 hours uses about 36.0 kWh, which costs about $7.82 at Pennsylvania’s average rate of 21.7¢/kWh.

How many kWh does an electric baseboard heater use per month?

At 8 hours a day, a typical electric baseboard heater uses about 365 kWh a month. In Pennsylvania that costs $79.29.

Is it expensive to run an electric baseboard heater in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has the 14th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 21.7¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running an electric baseboard heater here costs about $951 a year at typical use, compared with $802 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Pennsylvania right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Pennsylvania was 21.7¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.3% from a year earlier.

How many watts does a baseboard heater use per foot?

About 250 watts per linear foot, so a 4-foot heater is about 1,000W and an 8-foot heater about 2,000W.

Sources & method