For one room, a 1,500-watt space heater ($0.23 an hour at Orlando’s ~15¢/kWh) is cheaper than heating the whole house. For a whole home, the heat pump wins by a wide margin — $0.45–$0.75 an hour for a 3-ton system versus $0.68 for three space heaters that still leave the rest of the house cold. The cost trap is not the heat pump; it is the 10 kW backup heat strips at $1.50 an hour. Keep the heat pump on “Heat” at 68°F and use one space heater only in the room you are sitting in.
What does a space heater actually cost per hour in Orlando?
Every plug-in space heater sold in the US maxes out at 1,500 watts — the most a standard outlet can safely deliver. Run it flat out and it uses 1.5 kilowatt-hours every hour. At Orlando’s typical residential rate of about 15 cents per kWh (OUC and Duke are both close to that in 2026), that is 22–23 cents an hour. The “energy-saving” models with eco modes and oscillation are the same 1,500 watts when they are heating; they just cycle off more.
A space heater is 100% efficient — every watt becomes heat — and that is exactly its limit. It cannot do better than one unit of heat per unit of electricity.
What does the heat pump cost per hour?
A heat pump moves heat instead of making it, and at Orlando winter temperatures it delivers 2.5 to 3.5 units of heat for every unit of electricity. A 3-ton system on a 40–50°F night draws roughly 3–5 kW while running, and cycles on and off — so the real cost is $0.45–$0.75 an hour for the entire house at 68°F. Bigger systems cost proportionally more; a 2-ton condo system runs closer to $0.35.
The number that scares people on the January bill is not the heat pump. It is the backup: 10 kW of electric heat strips at about $1.50 an hour — the same technology as a space heater, just seven of them at once. They come on when the thermostat is asked for a big jump or switched to Em Heat. That story is on our emergency heat page.
Space heater vs heat pump: the cold-week math
Take a real Orlando cold snap: seven days, heat needed about 8 hours a day (evening and early morning), 56 hours total, ~15¢/kWh.
| Heating strategy | Cost per hour | Cost for the week | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 1,500 W space heater | $0.23 | $13 | One room, if the door is closed |
| Three space heaters | $0.68 | $38 | Three rooms; hallways, kitchen and baths stay cold |
| 3-ton heat pump at 68°F | $0.45–$0.75 | $25–$42 | Whole house, humidity controlled |
| Heat pump + strips (big setbacks / Em Heat) | $1.50–$2.25 | $84–$126 | Whole house — at three times the price |
| Five space heaters (“heat every room”) | $1.13 | $63 | Five rooms and a tripped breaker |
Read the middle two rows together. A correctly run heat pump heats the whole house for about what three space heaters cost to heat three rooms. The only way space heaters win is the first row: one heater, one room, everything else cold.
When does a space heater make sense?
- One person, one room, a few hours. Home office during a cold afternoon while the rest of the house sits at 62°F — that is the space heater’s use case, and it saves money.
- A room the heat pump under-serves. A bonus room over the garage or a sunroom added after the ductwork was designed. Cheaper than a zoning system for occasional use.
- The heat pump is down and you are waiting for the repair. One or two heaters get you through the night at a fraction of Em Heat’s cost — with the safety rules below.
When does the heat pump make sense?
Any time more than one room needs heat, any time anyone in the house is elderly or an infant, and any night below about 45°F when the house will actually lose heat. The heat pump also does something space heaters cannot: it moves air through the filter and keeps humidity in range, so the house does not get that clammy, closed-up winter feel.
Are space heaters safe to run overnight?
This is the part of the comparison that is not about money. Space heaters are involved in more home heating fires than any other equipment — the National Fire Protection Association puts them at roughly 40% of home heating fires and the large majority of the deaths. Almost all of those come from the same three mistakes:
- Something within three feet — bedding, a couch, curtains, a laundry pile.
- An extension cord or power strip. 1,500 watts is 12.5 amps continuous; only a wall outlet is rated for it.
- Running unattended or overnight, especially older units without tip-over and overheat shutoffs.
If you are going to use one: a current-model heater with tip-over and overheat protection, plugged straight into the wall, three feet of clear space, off when you leave the room or sleep. Two heaters on the same circuit is a breaker trip; three is a wiring problem.
What if the heat pump is the expensive one?
If your heat pump is costing more than the table says — a January bill $150+ above October with the thermostat at 68°F — it is running on strips more than it should. The usual causes are a thermostat set up for a furnace instead of a heat pump, a low refrigerant charge that forces the strips to carry the load, a stuck reversing valve, or a defrost board that never lets the outdoor coil clear. All four are on our heating repair page with prices on the heat pump repair cost page. The diagnostic is a flat $89, 24/7, and it is usually a $150–$700 fix that pays for itself in one cold month.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a space heater for 8 hours in Orlando?
About $1.80. A 1,500-watt space heater uses 1.5 kWh per hour, and at Orlando’s ~15¢/kWh that is roughly 23 cents an hour, or $1.80 for 8 hours — for one room.
Is it cheaper to heat one room with a space heater than to run the heat pump?
Yes, if it is truly one room and the rest of the house can sit cold. One heater is about $0.23 an hour; a 3-ton heat pump heating the whole house is $0.45–$0.75 an hour.
Why is my heat pump so expensive to run in winter?
Usually because the backup heat strips are running — about $1.50 an hour for 10 kW — instead of the heat pump. Big thermostat setbacks, Em Heat, low refrigerant, or a failed defrost board all push the system onto strips.
Can I run two space heaters at the same time?
Not on the same circuit. Each 1,500-watt heater draws 12.5 amps; two on one 15-amp circuit trips the breaker, and on a 20-amp circuit runs it at its limit. Never use an extension cord or power strip.
Are space heaters safe to leave on overnight?
Manufacturers and the NFPA say no. Space heaters cause roughly 40% of home heating fires and most of the deaths, almost always from bedding or furniture within three feet, an extension cord, or an older heater without tip-over and overheat shutoffs.
What is the cheapest way to heat a house in Orlando?
A heat pump on “Heat” at 68°F with setbacks of no more than 3°F. Orlando needs only about 200 heating hours a year, so a correctly run 3-ton heat pump costs roughly $90–$150 for the whole winter.
Need help in your neighborhood? Smart Home Air and Heat serves Orlando, East Orlando, Altamonte Springs, Avalon Park, and Oviedo and all of Central Florida with 24/7 availability and upfront pricing.
