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

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Space Heater in Tennessee?

The short answer

Running a 1,500W space heater in Tennessee costs about $0.21 an hour. At 8 hours a day, that’s roughly $50.05 a month and $600 a year.

The estimate uses Tennessee’s average residential electricity price of 13.7¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 25% below the national average.

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

Space Heater cost by daily use in Tennessee

Cost at 13.7¢/kWh, the Tennessee average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 45.6 $0.21 $6.26 $75.06
2 hours/day 91.3 $0.41 $12.51 $150
4 hours/day 182.5 $0.82 $25.02 $300
8 hours/day 365.0 $1.65 $50.05 $600
12 hours/day 547.6 $2.47 $75.07 $901
24 hours/day 1,095.1 $4.94 $150 $1,801

Tennessee vs other states

At typical use, a space heater costs $600 a year in Tennessee — $1,502 less than in Hawaii and $43.36 more than in Louisiana.

Tennessee has the 5th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Tennessee electricity rates · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Tennessee

13.7¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +3.8% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running a space heater

A space heater is a resistance heater: virtually every watt it draws becomes heat, so a 1,500W model uses 1.5 kWh for every hour it runs on high. The low setting on most models is around 750W. Ceramic, oil-free fan heaters and infrared models all have the same electricity cost for the same wattage — the difference is how the heat is delivered, not efficiency. A built-in thermostat lowers the real-world cost because the heater cycles off once the room reaches temperature; our estimate assumes it runs at full power for the hours you enter, which gives you a safe upper bound.

  • Heat the room you are in, not the whole house — lower your central thermostat a few degrees while the space heater runs.
  • Use a model with a thermostat and an eco mode so it cycles off when the room is warm.
  • Close doors and block drafts so the heat stays where you need it.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a space heater for 24 hours in Tennessee?

Running a 1,500W space heater for 24 hours uses about 36.0 kWh, which costs about $4.94 at Tennessee’s average rate of 13.7¢/kWh.

How many kWh does a space heater use per month?

At 8 hours a day, a typical space heater uses about 365 kWh a month. In Tennessee that costs $50.05.

Is it expensive to run a space heater in Tennessee?

Tennessee has the 5th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 13.7¢/kWh — one of the cheapest. Running a space heater here costs about $600 a year at typical use, compared with $802 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Tennessee right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Tennessee was 13.7¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 3.8% from a year earlier.

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

Heating one small room with a 1,500W space heater is usually cheaper than heating the whole house with an electric furnace. A modern heat pump, however, delivers 2–4 units of heat per unit of electricity, so it can heat a room far more cheaply than any space heater.

Do ceramic or infrared space heaters use less electricity?

No. All electric resistance heaters turn about 100% of their electricity into heat. A 1,500W ceramic heater and a 1,500W infrared heater cost the same per hour.

Space Heater costs in nearby states

Cheapest and priciest states

Comparisons

Sources & method