How to use a space heater safely
Choose an electric space heater with automatic tip-over and overheat shutoff, plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, and keep a three foot clear zone around it: no bedding, curtains, clothes or papers. Switch it off when you leave the room or go to sleep, and keep a working smoke alarm nearby.
Your bedroom runs cold and a space heater is the fix.
Why it matters: Space heaters are behind a large share of winter home fires, and a few habits prevent almost all of them.
Steps
- Choose an electric heater with tip-over and overheat shutoff and a safety certification mark.
- Set it on a hard, level floor, not on a rug, bed or table.
- Keep three feet clear on every side: bedding, curtains, clothes, papers and furniture.
- Plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, and do not share the outlet with another heavy device.
- Switch it off and unplug it when you leave the room or go to sleep.
- Test your smoke alarm and keep it working in the room or just outside it.
- Check the plug and cord each time: if either feels hot or looks damaged, stop using it.
Stop and call a professional if
- the plug, cord or outlet gets hot, you smell burning, or the breaker keeps tripping: stop using it, and ask an electrician or your landlord
- anyone has a headache, dizziness or nausea near a fuel burning heater, or the carbon monoxide alarm sounds: get everyone outside and call 911
- a fire starts and is not tiny and contained: get out, close the door behind you and call 911 from outside
Questions to ask the professional
- Can this circuit handle a space heater, or what else is on it?
Common mistakes
- Running a heater on an extension cord or power strip.
- Drying clothes or towels on or near it.
- Leaving it on overnight next to the bed.
- Using a fuel burning heater indoors.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to use a space heater safely
What to say
Choose an electric space heater with automatic tip-over and overheat shutoff, plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, and keep a three foot clear zone around it: no bedding, curtains, clothes or papers. Switch it off when you leave the room or go to sleep, and keep a working smoke alarm nearby.
What to show
- Choose an electric heater with tip-over and overheat shutoff and a safety certification mark.
- Set it on a hard, level floor, not on a rug, bed or table.
- Keep three feet clear on every side: bedding, curtains, clothes, papers and furniture.
- Plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip, and do not share the outlet with another heavy device.
- Switch it off and unplug it when you leave the room or go to sleep.
- Test your smoke alarm and keep it working in the room or just outside it.
- Check the plug and cord each time: if either feels hot or looks damaged, stop using it.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if the plug, cord or outlet gets hot, you smell burning, or the breaker keeps tripping: stop using it, and ask an electrician or your landlord.
Check question
Where should a space heater be plugged in?
Answer: Straight into a wall outlet. Strips and cords can overheat under a heater's load.
Your checklist
Saved only in this browser.
Quick quiz
Three questions. Your score is saved only in this browser.
Related skills
Sources
- US fire prevention guidance on home heating, 2025. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .