An 800-watt heater is usually a small portable heater suited to heating small spaces.
Considering that it is commonly accepted that heaters consume a lot of power, it’s likely that you’ll have concerns about what impact using an 800-watt heater will have on your electricity bill.
This post aims to share indicative energy consumption of using such a heater, the associated costs of running it, and other important usage information so that you have the right expectations from the get-go.
Is It Expensive to Run?
An 800-watt heater consumes about 19.2kWh of electricity a day to run, which works out to be about USD 2.3 a day, as much as the equivalent cost of running about twenty 15″ laptops running simultaneously.
Though the impact on the bill might appear to be small, its power consumption is significant when compared to that of an electronic appliance such as a 15″ laptop or a 41″ TV for example.
This is can be more of an issue when powering it off a power source with limited capacity such as a battery.
Energy (kWh) and the Associated Electricity Costs
The estimated energy consumption of running an 800-watt heater and the associated electricity costs (US$) are shown below.
Note: this assumes a tariff of 12 cents per kWh and that the heater is running at full power (some heaters have an adjustable thermostat and may cycle on and off periodically).
Over 8 hours – Consumption (kWh) and Costs
Over an 8-hour period, an 800-watt heater uses an estimated 6.4 kWh (assumes full power). In terms of costs, this works out to be about 0.77 USD.
24 hours – Consumption (kWh) and Costs
The estimated cost of running the heater continuously over a 24-hour period is USD 2.3, the cost of 2 cheeseburgers and a soft drink from McDonalds at current market prices. This is based on an estimated energy consumption of 19.2 kWh.
Monthly Consumption (kWh) and Costs
It costs about USD 69 to run an 800-watt space heater continuously over a 30-day period at full power (estimated electricity consumption of 576 kWh). This assumes an electricity tariff of 12 cents per kWh.
In practice, energy consumption and associated costs of operating the heater can be lower depending on how often and what settings you select. The heater will probably cycle on and off or may be set to a lower or medium-level power setting.
The Power Consumption (watts) of the Heater
The estimated power draw of the heater is about 800 watts. The typical current draw is between 6-7 amps at 120 VAC depending on the model and thermostat setting on the heater.
Related Questions
How Many BTU/hr?
The estimated heat output of the heater is about 2,700 BTU/hr and may be able to heat spaces of about 250 sq. ft depending on the available insulation in the room.
Closing Thoughts
An 800-watt heater is suited to heating small spaces usually about 250 sq. ft depending on available insulation.
The estimated energy consumption of running the heater over a 24-hour period can be as much as 19.2 kWh and 2.3 USD respectively depending on the actual usage factors of the heater.
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