Heating Cost Calculator: What Your Heating Costs per Hour
Heating is the biggest energy cost in most homes, yet it usually arrives as one lump on a winter bill, weeks after the money has already gone. Breaking that lump down into a cost per hour changes how you use it: suddenly the space heater, the furnace and the heat pump all carry price tags you can compare. Choose your system below, adjust the energy use and price to match your own tariff, and this heating cost calculator shows what you pay per hour, per day, per month and for a whole heating season.
Heating Cost Calculator
Pick your heating system — the energy use and price fill in with typical values, and you can edit both. Results update as you change inputs, or press Calculate. No sign-up and no email needed, just your numbers.
Choose your system, then press Calculate to see your results.
Cost per unit of heat
Comparing systems by the hour is useful, but the fairest comparison is what each one charges for the same amount of delivered heat. The table below converts the calculator’s default prices into a cost per million BTU of heat actually delivered to the house. Electric resistance heating turns every watt into heat, a heat pump delivers about three units of heat for each unit of electricity at a COP of 3, and a 90% efficient gas furnace loses about a tenth of its fuel up the flue.
| Heating system | Cost per million BTU of delivered heat |
|---|---|
| Electric resistance | $50.70 |
| Heat pump (COP 3) | $16.90 |
| Gas furnace (90% efficient, $1.40/therm) | $15.60 |
The lesson in the table is the one heating engineers keep repeating: moving heat beats making heat. A heat pump does not create warmth from scratch — it shifts heat from the outdoor air into the house — so it delivers roughly three times as much heat per dollar as a resistance heater, and lands close to gas. Resistance heating is simple and cheap to buy, but at these prices it is the most expensive way to warm a home.
Cut the bill
Start with the thermostat. Lowering your setting by 7–10°F for 8 hours a day — while you are asleep or out at work — can save up to about 10% a year on heating, and most people never feel the difference because it happens under a duvet or in an empty house. A programmable or smart thermostat makes the setback automatic, so you stop paying to heat an empty home at full temperature.
Next, keep the heat you have already paid for. Sealing drafts around doors, windows and attic hatches costs very little, and topping up insulation keeps the warmth in for years — work out the depth and number of bags you need with our Insulation Calculator. Closing curtains at dusk and the doors of unused rooms helps too, and it is free.
Finally, heat the rooms you use. A space heater warming the living room for one evening can beat running a whole-house system for a single occupied room — but only for a few hours, and only in that room. Run the numbers above for your own system before deciding: at $0.26 an hour the space heater wins for short, local warmth, while the furnace or heat pump wins for the whole house over a long day.
What to calculate next
Heating is only one part of the bill. These tools cover the rest of the house:
- Electricity Cost Calculator — what any appliance costs to run per hour, month and year.
- Insulation Calculator — the insulation depth and bags your home needs to keep heat in.
- AC BTU Calculator — the right cooling size for each room when the season turns.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to heat a home?
Per unit of delivered heat, a heat pump or an efficient gas furnace is cheapest — see the comparison table on this page. At the default prices here, gas costs about $15.60 per million BTU delivered and a heat pump about $16.90, while electric resistance heating costs about $50.70.
How much does it cost to run a space heater?
A typical 1,500 W space heater costs about $0.26 an hour at the average US electricity price of $0.173/kWh — roughly $2.08 for an 8-hour day. Your own figure depends on the heater’s wattage setting and your tariff.
Do heat pumps work in cold weather?
Yes. Modern cold-climate heat pumps keep heating well below freezing, though their efficiency falls as it gets colder because there is less heat to move. Many homes in cold regions pair one with a backup heat source for the very coldest days.
How much can a thermostat setback save?
Lowering the thermostat by 7–10°F for 8 hours a day can save up to about 10% a year on heating costs. Overnight and while you are at work are the easiest hours to set back, because you barely notice them.
Estimates only — your climate, insulation and tariff decide the real bill.