This stylish, energy-saving ‘little powerhouse’ will help you stay warm for just $1 a day – save $$s and keep rooms you use cozy without ugly heaters

I grew up in a home that had an ugly space heater in every room, and so I vowed never to bring them into my own home, using heatpads instead for a bit of instant warmth before finally turning on the heating in the thick of winter.

However, with energy costs soaring – it’s going to cost the average American household over 7%, and in some cases up to 15% more to heat their home this year than last – I’ve been on the hunt for a cute space heater that doesn’t break the bank and won’t annoy me every time I look at it.

And voila! This cute and efficient $27 compact heater from Amazon is rounded in style, available in three colors, and looks modern. It’s a far cry from the bulky, boring space heaters of winters past, and will help keep you warm all day without sending your bills soaring.

This $27 stylish little heater is perfect for zone heating to keep costs low

This little heater weighs just two pounds, making it easily portable around your home, though, with its low price point, you could easily bag three for use across your home for under $100 and keep them near the spots you sit in the longer winter evenings, such as the sofa, in home offices, and bedrooms prone to cool spots. Just make sure you don't overload your outlets.

Josh Mitcell, HVAC technician of AirConditioner Lab says, ‘In most of the US, people start turning their systems on once indoor temps drop below 68°F consistently, especially in the mornings and evenings. That typically happens around mid-to-late October in the Midwest and Northeast, and early to mid-November in the South.'

This fall has been slower to cool compared to last year. September and early October ran about 2 to 4 degrees above average across much of the central US, according to Josh, which delayed the usual transition and will inspire hunts for adding warmth without sending bills skyrocketing.

Josh says, 'I’m seeing more homeowners using heated blankets, small space heaters, or lap warmers instead of turning on the whole system. In the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, people are waiting one to two weeks longer than usual to turn on the heat, compared to 2022 or 2023.

'In some parts of the US, natural gas prices are up 10 to 15 percent compared to last fall. Electricity rates have remained high in several metropolitan areas, particularly those where utilities increased their base rates earlier in the year. People are trying to avoid a spike in their heating bills by holding off as long as possible.'

Josh adds that running a gas furnace can cost $3 to $5 per day, depending on your region and insulation, explaining, 'Electric baseboard heat can be even more. Compared to that, a daily cost of $1-2 for a compact heater is easy to justify when you're only heating one or two rooms.

'A small heater like the QQT model draws 400 to 500 watts and costs under $2 per day with casual use. It’s ideal for bedrooms, home offices, or any other room you use regularly. It also features tip-over protection and an overheat shutoff, making it safer than older plug-in heaters.'

This stylish and affordable space heater will cost around $1.68 a day to run, based on eight hours of constant use. This was worked out using the following information:

This is a 1200-watt heater that uses 1.2 kilowatts of energy per hour. Over eight hours, it would use 1.2 kW×8 h=9.6 kWh. The total cost, therefore, based on the average residential electricity rate of 17.47 cents per kWh, brings the total cost to approximately $1.68.

Whilst HVAC experts, including Josh, advise turning the heating on when your house feels uncomfortably cold, it’s a toss-up between comfort, style and rising energy costs.

That’s why ‘zone heating’, warming up yourself and the space immediately around you, may help you keep expensive heating off for longer this winter.

Josh adds, 'I’m seeing more people this year close off unused rooms, run space heaters in the areas where they spend time, and only run their furnace in short cycles to maintain a base temperature. That kind of zoning approach helps keep energy use in check.'

And no rule says devices to help you with this have to be ugly and bulky. Hebe Hatton, Head of Interiors at Homes & Gardens says, ‘I will be the first to admit I often go for prettiness over practicality, so when I find a product that does both, I am a happy shopper.

'I want the more useful things in my home to be aesthetically pleasing too, and not interrupt my home's style. This QQT heater from Amazon isn't huge, which is its first pro, its shape and color also don't scream "heater". The deep green is very on trend for fall 2025 and the white option is ideal if you want something that blends a bit more into the background.’

It's not just nice to look at, either.

One happy customer labeled this buy a ‘little powerhouse’, and declared it to be quick to heat a space, ‘very quiet’, and a brilliant way to zone heat. In their five-star product write-up, they add, ‘It's a great little heater that is perfect for personal spaces. It's warm, efficient, safe, and quiet, and it comes at a very affordable price. If you're looking for a way to beat the winter chill, I highly recommend checking out the QQT Electric Space Heater.

The quiet fan noise and safety features, including a thermostat for an auto-switch off, enhanced safety plug, and anti-tip features, make it a safe bet for taking the chill off cold bedrooms this winter.

You can also draft-proof your home to stop heat from escaping, cold air from creeping in, and reduce the number of hours you need to run your heating type, in this case, a stylish little space heater.

What to shop

Given that four in five people (77%) revealed in a survey by Barker and Stonehouse that their interiors impact their mood, why not be more intentional with your heating choices?

Here are six further stylish and compact electric heaters to consider:

Using a heatpad is another affordable way to stay comfortable without heating up the whole room. It's a staple in my house and a very energy-efficient way to stay comfortable when the chill hits.