Is baseboard heating cheaper than a space heater?

Per watt they are identical. Baseboard usually costs more in practice because it is sized to heat the whole room and runs on a wall thermostat.

Each figure above is that appliance at its own typical use, which is why they differ. The reasons below are what actually settle this comparison — the running cost of the electricity each draws is not the whole story.

Why the running cost does not settle electric baseboard heater versus space heater

• Both are pure resistance heat, so each watt buys exactly one watt of heat in either case.
• A 6-foot baseboard unit is about 1,500 W, the same as a portable heater, but a room often has more than one.
• The portable heater wins when you only need the corner you are sitting in warm; the baseboard wins when you want the whole room usable.

Both figures use each appliance’s typical wattage and default usage at the U.S. average of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour, and exclude fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. Change the wattage, usage or state on either appliance’s own page to compare them on your terms, or read how to check a running-cost figure before trusting any of them.