Space Heater vs Heat Pump (Ducted or Mini-Split): Which Costs More to Run? (2026)
A heat pump wins on cost for anything beyond a single small room. It delivers two to four units of heat per unit of electricity, while a space heater delivers exactly one. The space heater only makes sense when you need heat in one spot for an hour or two, or as a stopgap before a heat pump is installed.
At the hours shown, Space Heater costs about
$247.59 a year and Heat Pump (Ducted or Mini-Split) about
$82.53in the US.
Same heat, not same hours: a 2,000 W heat pump with a seasonal efficiency of 3 gives 6 kW of heat, so 1.5 hours matches what the 1,500 W space heater delivers in 6. Change the hours to compare your own use. Edit the hours to match your own use. Costs use the typical wattage of each appliance. Both are counted for 150 days a year (the heating season).
When the space heater makes sense
You heat one small room for a few hours a day
You rent and cannot install anything
You need heat right now, not next month
When the heat pump (ducted or mini-split) makes sense
You heat more than one room or the whole home
You also want cooling in summer
You plan to stay long enough to recover the installation cost