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

Heating · Wisconsin

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

The short answer

A typical 1,500W electric baseboard heater costs about $0.29 per hour to run in Wisconsin, or $69.58 a month at 8 hours a day.

The estimate uses Wisconsin’s average residential electricity price of 19.1¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 4% above the national average.

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

Electric Baseboard Heater cost by daily use in Wisconsin

Cost at 19.1¢/kWh, the Wisconsin average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 45.6 $0.29 $8.70 $104
2 hours/day 91.3 $0.57 $17.39 $209
4 hours/day 182.5 $1.14 $34.79 $417
8 hours/day 365.0 $2.29 $69.58 $835
12 hours/day 547.6 $3.43 $104 $1,252
24 hours/day 1,095.1 $6.86 $209 $2,504

Wisconsin vs other states

At typical use, an electric baseboard heater costs $835 a year in Wisconsin — $1,268 less than in Hawaii and $278 more than in Louisiana.

Wisconsin has the 18th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Wisconsin electricity rates · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Wisconsin

19.1¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +4.4% 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?

Running a 1,500W electric baseboard heater for 24 hours uses about 36.0 kWh, which costs about $6.86 at Wisconsin’s average rate of 19.1¢/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 Wisconsin that costs $69.58.

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

Wisconsin has the 18th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 19.1¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running an electric baseboard heater here costs about $835 a year at typical use, compared with $802 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Wisconsin right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Wisconsin was 19.1¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 4.4% 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