How is the running cost calculated?

Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate gives cost per hour: $0.66 at 2,000 W on the NSW rate; the yearly figure uses 4.4 h/day, 90 days a year at 2,000 W.

How much does it cost to run an electric heater (fan, panel or oil column)? (2026–27)

At typical draw · official state tariffs

$0.55–$0.84 per hour at 2,000 W

Typical household use (4.4 h/day, 90 days a year at 2,000 W) runs $218–$332 a year depending on your state's tariff.

Wattage basis: Resistive — input watts equal heat output: fan/panel/oil-column heaters cluster at ~2,000 W; travel units 1,000 W; largest 2,400 W (a standard power point's limit).

Electric heater running cost by state and model, at 4.4 h a day for 90 days a year (2026–27 reference usage rates)
State	Model	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
New South Wales33.1c/kWh · Ausgrid	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.33	$1.46	$44.32	$131
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.66	$2.92	$88.65	$262
	High (2,400 W)	$0.80	$3.50	$106.38	$315
Victoria27.5c/kWh · Jemena	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.27	$1.21	$36.74	$109
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.55	$2.42	$73.49	$218
	High (2,400 W)	$0.66	$2.90	$88.19	$261
Queensland28.0c/kWh · Energex	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.28	$1.23	$37.42	$111
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.56	$2.46	$74.84	$222
	High (2,400 W)	$0.67	$2.95	$89.80	$266
South Australia41.9c/kWh · SA Power Networks	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.42	$1.84	$56.06	$166
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.84	$3.69	$112.12	$332
	High (2,400 W)	$1.01	$4.43	$134.54	$398
Western Australia33.3c/kWh · Western Power (SWIS)	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.33	$1.46	$44.49	$132
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.67	$2.93	$88.98	$263
	High (2,400 W)	$0.80	$3.51	$106.78	$316
Tasmania28.0c/kWh · TasNetworks	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.28	$1.23	$37.39	$111
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.56	$2.46	$74.78	$221
	High (2,400 W)	$0.67	$2.95	$89.74	$266
Australian Capital Territory37.0c/kWh · Evoenergy	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.37	$1.63	$49.43	$146
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.74	$3.25	$98.86	$293
	High (2,400 W)	$0.89	$3.90	$118.63	$351
Northern Territory31.7c/kWh · Power and Water	Efficient (1,000 W)	$0.32	$1.39	$42.37	$125
	Typical (2,000 W)	$0.63	$2.79	$84.75	$251
	High (2,400 W)	$0.76	$3.35	$101.70	$301

Where an electric heater costs more

South Australia is the dearest state to run one: $0.84 an hour at 2,000 W on its 41.9c/kWh rate, against $0.55 in Victoria. Over a year of typical use that gap is $114 (52.6% more).
By yearly running cost at typical use it ranks 7th of the 26 appliances costed on this site (1st costs the most): $262 a year at the NSW rate.
An efficient 1,000 W model costs $166 a year less than a typical 2,000 W one in SA at 4.4 hours a day for 90 days ($109 less in VIC); a high-draw 2,400 W model uses 2.4 times the power of the efficient one.
At the 1 July 2026 price reset, typical-use cost fell $18 in VIC (Jemena usage rate 29.7c to 27.5c/kWh) and rose $7 in WA (Western Power (SWIS) usage rate 32.4c to 33.3c/kWh).

Typical household use per year, cheapest state first (4.4 h/day, 90 days a year at 2,000 W)
Rank	State	Usage rate	Typical year	Above the cheapest
1	Victoria	27.5c	$218	—
2	Tasmania	28.0c	$221	+$4
3	Queensland	28.0c	$222	+$4
4	Northern Territory	31.7c	$251	+$33
5	New South Wales	33.1c	$262	+$45
6	Western Australia	33.3c	$263	+$46
7	Australian Capital Territory	37.0c	$293	+$75
8	South Australia	41.9c	$332	+$114

Rates by state (each state's capital-city network): NSW: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); VIC: ESC Victorian Default Offer 2026–27; QLD: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); SA: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); WA: WA Government Standard Electricity Prices 2026–27 (Synergy Home Plan A1); TAS: OTTER-approved Aurora Energy Standing Offer 2026–27 (approved 25 June 2026) — Tariff 31; ACT: ICRC retail electricity price recalibration 2026–27 (ActewAGL standing offer); NT: NT Electricity Pricing Order 2026–27 (Jacana Energy standard residential). All effective 1 July 2026.

Appliance running-cost calculator

NSW

State

Power draw (watts)

Electric heater: 1,000–2,400 W typical range.

Hours per day

Days per year

~4–5 h/day in winter (Finder's tracker assumes 4.4 h/day).

$0.66 per hour · $262/year at your settings

Per day (4.4 h): $2.92
Per month: $88.65
Per year (90 days): $262.45

Tariff: 33.1c/kWh — AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8) for the Ausgrid network, effective 1 July 2026. Wattage basis: Finder — winter heating cost tracker. Full electric heater costs in NSW →

Cutting the cost

Plain bar and fan heaters turn power straight into heat, so no brand runs cheaper than another; the only real saving is heating less. Warm the person, not the whole room: shut the door, point it where you sit, and put it on a timer so it isn't left running. If you own a reverse-cycle unit, it delivers far more warmth for the same power.

Frequently asked questions

How is the running cost calculated?: Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate = cost per hour. An electric heater drawing 2,000 W on NSW's 33.1c/kWh rate costs $0.66 an hour; the calculator below lets you change every input.
Does a higher star rating cut the cost?: Yes. The star rating compresses the power draw or energy per use, which scales these figures directly. The low–high band in the table (1,000–2,400 W) roughly spans efficient to inefficient models.

Sources — figures current as at 17 July 2026.

Costs use each state's representative-zone reference usage rate, effective 1 July 2026. ~4–5 h/day in winter (Finder's tracker assumes 4.4 h/day).

How much does it cost to run an electric heater (fan, panel or oil column)? (2026–27)

Where an electric heater costs more

Appliance running-cost calculator

Cutting the cost

Frequently asked questions

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