How Much Will A Smart Space Heater Save You In The Long Run?

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Space heaters are generally convenient and cost-effective if you just want to warm up a single spot or room rather than a whole home. But is it worth purchasing a smart space heater rather than a non-smart one? The choice basically boils down to how much you want to use it. Smart space heaters are more energy-efficient but cost more, so the more you use one, the more likely it is that your energy savings will outweigh the higher upfront costs of purchasing a smart space heater. You probably don't need to spend that extra money to heat a bedroom on a few cold nights each year, but if you're regularly heating that bedroom over the course of the winter, the investment in a smart space heater will likely pay for itself in the long run.

Getting a smart space heater instead of a non-smart model can help reduce your energy costs at home. A smart space heater may both use less electricity to run and run less frequently, saving you money both ways. Depending on the model, a smart space heater often has sensors that monitor a room's temperature in order to maintain a set comfort level. It may also detect if and where someone is in the room, and either turn the heater on or off or direct the heat toward that person. When a smart space heater has internet connectivity and energy tracking capabilities, it can also help you control your space heater remotely and make better decisions about your heating habits, potentially reducing your energy use further. All these features add up: more efficient use of energy, used only when and where it's needed.

A well-regarded space heater without smart capabilities, the Vornado VH200, costs about $70 and uses 1,500 watts to heat the average home office or living room. Run the Vornado for an hour, and you've used 1,500 watt-hours, or 1.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The average cost of electricity in the U.S. is about 18 cents per kWh, so you've spent 27 cents to run your space heater for one hour. By contrast, the highly rated Kelvin smart space heater costs about $550 but uses only 700 watts, so it costs only 13 cents to run for one hour. Home electricity prices are out of control in the U.S., and the higher your electricity costs, the more you'll save using a smart space heater.

To heat your whole home, a smart thermostat will likely save you more money than smart space heaters will. But for smaller spaces, a smart space heater can still offer savings over a non-smart model. If, for example, you use your space heater for eight hours a day for the two coldest months of the year, you'd be spending $129.60 using a Vornado, but only $60.48 running a Kelvin. Saving $69 a year on space heating means the Kelvin will pay for itself in roughly seven years. Take full advantage of the Kelvin's smart controls, such as location sensing and smart scheduling, and your Kelvin will run less often, saving you significantly more. In short, if you need to heat a room for only a few minutes a day, a few times a year, a smart space heater may never pay for itself. But use a space heater a lot, and the savings add up pretty quickly if you switch to a smarter model.