Heating & Cooling · South
Cost to run a electric baseboard heater in Tennessee
At Tennessee’s average residential rate of 14.47¢ per kWh, a electric baseboard heater drawing 1250W for 8 hours a day costs about $30.83 a month. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Heating season in Tennessee is short. A electric baseboard heater is likely to be a supplementary or occasional-use appliance here rather than a primary heat source, so the realistic annual cost is well below the figure implied by year-round daily use.
Quick answer
Based on 1250W at a 70% duty cycle (this equipment cycles on and off rather than drawing full power continuously) and 14.47¢/kWh, the Tennessee average for May 2026.
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— per year
Why the cost differs in Tennessee
Tennessee has the 12th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 US states and territories we track, at 14.47¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.44¢. That is -21.5% compared with the national figure. Tennessee is served by the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal public power provider with a diverse nuclear, hydroelectric and natural gas mix, which keeps rates low without investor returns in the rate base. Retail choice does not exist. Humid summers drive cooling demand, and electric heating is common enough that winter carries substantial load.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $101 a year against what the same electric baseboard heater would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $1,329 a year; in Idaho it would cost $316. That spread of $1,013 is entirely down to location.
That is about 24% of a typical Tennessee household's annual electricity bill from this one appliance, which is enough to be worth optimising.
Tennessee sits below the national average, so this electric baseboard heater costs slightly less to run here than it would for a typical US household. How you use it will move the number far more than where you live.
Tennessee is served by public power rather than investor-owned utilities, so there is no supplier to shop between. The published average is close to what most households actually pay.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee this page | 14.47¢ | $30.83 | $370 |
| US average | 18.44¢ | $39.29 | $471 |
| Idaho cheapest state | 12.35¢ | $26.32 | $316 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 52.00¢ | $111 | $1,329 |
Tennessee electricity rate trend
Rates in Tennessee have moved from 13.82¢ to 14.47¢ per kWh over the last twelve months of published data. Nationally, residential rates rose about 6.2% year over year.
2025-06 to 2026-05 · cents per kWh
About running a electric baseboard heater
Baseboard heaters are resistance heating with per-room thermostats. The per-room control is the saving grace: heating two rooms rather than eight is what makes them tolerable in a high-rate state.
What actually changes the cost
- Nameplate wattage is not running cost. This electric baseboard heater draws about 1250W when active, but cycles roughly 70% of the time it is switched on, so effective consumption is near 875W.
- At typical use this is a major load - around 2,555 kWh a year. Efficiency upgrades here pay back faster than on any small appliance.
- Models vary widely, from about 750W to 2000W. Check the nameplate on your own unit rather than assuming an average, because the spread is more than 2x.
- Insulation and air sealing reduce runtime, which lowers cost more reliably than adjusting the thermostat by a degree.
- If your utility offers time-of-use pricing, shifting this load off-peak can cut its cost substantially without using any less energy.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
1250W ÷ 1000 × 8h × 70% = 7.000 kWh/day × 14.47¢ = $1.013 per day
One honest caveat: Tennessee’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
Questions about electric baseboard heater running costs
How many watts does a electric baseboard heater use?
A typical electric baseboard heater draws about 1250 watts while running, with most models falling between 750W and 2000W. Check the nameplate label or manual for your specific unit - the range is wide enough that averages can mislead.
How much electricity does a electric baseboard heater use per day?
At around 8 hours of use a day and a 70% duty cycle, that works out to roughly 7 kWh per day, or about 210 kWh a month. Your actual figure depends on your usage and model.
Why does the cost differ so much between states?
Residential electricity rates across the US range from about 12.35 cents per kWh in North Dakota to 46.62 cents in Hawaii - nearly a fourfold difference. The same electric baseboard heater, used identically, therefore costs almost four times as much to run in the most expensive state as in the cheapest.
Is it cheaper to run a electric baseboard heater at night?
Only if you are on a time-of-use or variable tariff. On a flat rate, the time of day makes no difference to cost. If you are on time-of-use pricing, off-peak hours are typically materially cheaper, and shifting this load can reduce its cost without reducing usage.