What electric space heating costs to run in Washington
Washington homes use 4,254 kWh a year on electric space heating. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $221.76 to $647.88 a year across 22 published Washington plans — a $426.12 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule RLC - Residential Low-Income: Citytime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $219.97 | −$1.79 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLS-Residential Low-Income: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $219.97 | −$1.79 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $219.97 | −$1.79 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule REC - Residential Elderly/Disabled: Citytime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $220.08 | −$1.68 | 4.4¢ |
| RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35✓ cheapesttiered | $221.76 | — | 5.9¢ |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $230.92 | +$9.16 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $230.95 | +$9.19 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $234.15 | +$12.39 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLT-Residential Low-Income: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $234.16 | +$12.40 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $235.20 | +$13.44 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $235.20 | +$13.44 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $235.20 | +$13.44 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $235.20 | +$13.44 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattleflat rate | $592.20 | +$370.44 | 15.3¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Rentonflat rate | $599.76 | +$378.00 | 15.5¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Parkflat rate | $638.04 | +$416.28 | 16.4¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwilaflat rate | $642.72 | +$420.96 | 16.6¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: SeaTacflat rate | $647.88 | +$426.12 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: Burienflat rate | $647.88 | +$426.12 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSH-Residential: Shorelineflat rate | $647.88 | +$426.12 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King Countyflat rate | $647.88 | +$426.12 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Parkflat rate | $647.88 | +$426.12 | 16.7¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $48.60 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $144.48, a $95.88 spread
- Average — cheapest $221.76 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $647.88, a $426.12 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $327.60 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $955.44, a $627.84 spread
What electric space heating costs here
Across 22 plans priced in Washington, electric space heating adds $221.76 to $647.88 a year — $18.48 to $53.99 a month. The median plan puts electric space heating at $645.30 a year.
Cheapest for electric space heating: RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35, Modern Electric Water Company. Dearest: Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Park, City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company).
Those 4,254 kWh are billed at 5.2¢–15.2¢, against a 16.6¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Washington homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 4,254 kWh a year across 287 sampled homes that run one, 1.71× the national 2,484 kWh. The middle half spans 948 kWh to 6,274 kWh, so electric space heating varies by 5,325 kWh between one household and another.
All electricity used for space heating, including the furnace or heat-pump compressor and the air handler that moves the heat around the house. That average covers homes heated with electricity — 68% of homes here, against 52% nationally.
That makes electric space heating about 39% of the electricity a Washington home uses. The remaining 6,737 kWh is what electric space heating is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
By provider
On each Washington provider's cheapest plan: Modern Electric Water Company, $221.76; City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company), $592.20.
City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company) charges $370.44 a year more than Modern Electric Water Company on RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35 for the same 4,254 kWh.
Light and heavy use of electric space heating
A household in the lighter quarter runs electric space heating for 948 kWh a year and pays $48.60 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 6,274 kWh and pays $327.60 — $279.00 more for electric space heating on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Washington, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 22 Washington tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 47.6588, -117.4260.