How much electricity does a foot warmer use?

Turning on a heating product feels like spending money. But how much exactly? The calculations are below, based on current rates.

The calculation

You calculate power consumption using: power in kilowatts × number of hours × price per kilowatt-hour.

The average electricity price in the Netherlands in September 2026 was around €0.29 per kWh according to the Consumentenbond, for both variable and one-year contracts. We are calculating based on a four-hour evening and a winter season of approximately 180 evenings.

What it costs

Appliance	Power	Per evening	Per winter
Heated foot mat	75 watts	€0.09	approx. €16
Foot and lower leg warmer	170 watts	€0.20	approx. €36
Electric space heater	2000 watts	€2.32	approx. €420

The difference lies not in the technology, but in the volume. A space heater heats dozens of cubic meters of air in an entire room. A foot warmer heats a few dozen liters around your feet. That makes a difference of roughly a factor of thirty.

Does it pay for itself?

Only if it replaces something else. That is the honest nuance.

If you turn off the space heater and use a foot warmer instead, that easily saves a few hundred euros in electricity over a winter. If you turn it on in addition to the heater, it just costs you an extra sixteen to thirty-six euros. Not a disaster, but not a saving either.

What it comes down to for most people: you can turn the thermostat down a degree because your feet are warm. According to calculations by Milieu Centraal, one degree lower saves an average household about €140 to €350 per year. That is a multiple of what these types of appliances cost in electricity.

Watch the surface area, not just the watts

More watts do not mean warmer. They mean more heat distributed over a larger surface.

A 40 by 60 centimeter mat with 75 watts and a 50 by 125 centimeter panel with 170 watts provide roughly the same amount of heat per square centimeter. The large panel uses more power because it heats more surface area, not because it gets hotter.

So, look at the power in relation to the size. A small 150-watt cushion is not better — it’s just hot.

Three things that really make a difference

• Use the lowest setting that is comfortable. The highest setting consumes more continuously and is rarely more pleasant.
• Choose a model that turns off automatically. Most consumption comes from an appliance left on all evening while you are already in bed.
• Do not place a heated mat directly on a cold tile floor. The floor draws the heat away and your appliance ends up working against the floor.

In short

A foot warmer costs you nine to twenty cents per evening. A space heater costs over two euros. If you are the only one in the room and only you need to get warm, the choice is not complicated.

We offer two: the 170-watt Cocon that encloses your feet and lower legs up to the knee, and the 75-watt Warmtemat for under your desk or by the sofa. You can read more about the problem itself on our page about cold feet when sitting still.

Rates as of September 2026. Electricity prices change — calculate it with your own rate.