WattCostCalc

Baseboard Heater vs Furnace Blower: Which Costs Less to Run?

Using typical wattage and daily use, a furnace blower costs about $12.60 per month, compared with $42.00 for a baseboard heater. That is a gap of $29.40 a month at $0.175/kWh.

Side by side

Baseboard HeaterFurnace Blower
Power1,000 W500 W
Hours per day88
Cost per hour$0.175$0.053
Cost per day$1.40$0.42
Cost per week$9.80$2.94
Cost per month$42.00$12.60
Cost per year$511.00$153.30
Energy per year2,920 kWh876 kWh

Based on $0.175 per kWh (US average).

Which should you choose?

These two appliances do different jobs, so the cheaper one is not automatically the better choice. The figures use typical wattage, typical daily hours and the share of time each runs at full power.

Want your own numbers? Open either calculator and enter your hours and rate: Baseboard Heater or Furnace Blower.

Keep exploring