What Is the Annual Cost of Baseboard Heating?

Electric Baseboard Heat

• Electric baseboard heaters are installed along the bottom of the wall, can be used in just one room at a time and are zonal heaters controlled by thermostats They effectively provide warmth and heat up a room fairly quickly.

  Heating a large family home with an electric baseboard heating system creates a huge energy demand. If the home is not well insulated, the amount of power required can be astronomical. Electric heaters, including baseboard electric heaters are only recommended for supplemental heat and small spaces. Although they are not considered energy efficient, electric baseboards are safe appliances that do not generate carbon dioxide or produce a flame.

Electric Baseboard Installation Cost

• Electric baseboard heaters run from $25 to $200 per unit. They can be installed by an experienced DIY homeowner or an electrical contractor. Professional installation will cost approximately $125 to $300 per unit, depending on the complexity of the installation. Electric baseboard heaters are typically 3 to 10 feet long and only intrude about 3 to 4 inches into the room. They can be mounted over any flooring material including carpet.

  Electric baseboard heaters are often used to supplement the main heating system such as a boiler or central furnace. The United States Department of Energy advises that it will cost twice as much to heat a given space with electric baseboard heaters as it will to heat the same space with an electric heat pump. The annual cost of electricity is dependent on geographical location and demand. At the time of publication, the United States Energy Information Administration reports Hawaii has the highest rate for electricity of 21.21 cents per kilowatt hour. Wyoming has the lowest rate for electricity of 6.08 cents per kilowatt hour.

  There are many different types and brands of baseboard heaters. Quality can vary greatly and inexpensive models usually perform poorly. When purchasing a baseboard heater for your home, select a model certificed by the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association (NEMA) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Hot Water Baseboard Systems

• For decades, old-fashioned steam radiators have been used to heat homes, apartment and office buildings. As heating technology advanced, these bulky and noisy units were often replaced with longer, lighter-weight and more energy efficient units that run hot water through pipes enclosed in baseboard units. The water used in hot water baseboard heating systems can use natural gas, propane or electricity for an energy source. Hot water baseboard systems heated with natural gas or propane normally cost less to operate than those heated with electricity. If the energy source is electric, it is expensive. Withing the continental United States, Connecticut has the highest electric rate of 18.06 cents per kilowatt hour.

Hot Water Baseboard Installation Cost

• Similar to radiant floor heat, hot water baseboard heat can be installed where there isn’t sufficient space for an under-floor heating system. A typical installation of a hot water (hydronic) baseboard heating system for a 1,400 square foot home is approximately $6,000 to $8,000, at the time of publication.