Space heaters: how to use them safely

Warm and safe: keep 3 feet of space around it.

The answer in 2 lines. A space heater helps in a pinch, but it needs space and attention. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away, plug electric heaters straight into a wall outlet (never an extension cord or power strip), and turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep. Choose a model with tip-over and overheat shut-off and a safety certification mark. Fuel-burning heaters (kerosene, propane) give off carbon monoxide: use them only if made for indoor use, with ventilation, and with a CO alarm.

The first 3 steps

Keep curtains, bedding, furniture and clothes at least 3 feet away.
Plug electric heaters straight into a wall outlet.
Turn the heater off when you leave the room or go to bed.

Stop: danger

An electric heater on an extension cord or power strip: they can overheat and start a fire.
A fuel-burning heater used in a closed room or while sleeping.
A generator, grill or camp stove used inside to heat: carbon monoxide can kill.
Using a gas oven or stove to heat your home.

Electric heaters: watch for overheating

Place it on a flat, hard floor, away from foot traffic, never on a rug or furniture.
Don't dry clothes on it or cover it.
Keep children and pets away.
Unplug it if the plug, cord or outlet gets hot, and see our guide on hot outlets.

Kerosene and propane heaters

Fuel-burning heaters release carbon monoxide into the room. Use only models labeled for indoor use, follow the maker's ventilation instructions, and have a working CO alarm nearby.

Don't use them in bedrooms or while you sleep.
Refuel outside, only when the heater is off and cool, with the fuel the maker specifies.
Check that local rules allow them: some cities restrict them indoors.

Never indoors

A portable generator, even in a garage or basement.
A grill or camp stove.
An oven or stovetop to heat the room.
A heater made for outdoor use.

Renters: when the heat doesn't work

If you're using a space heater because your rental's heat is broken, tell your landlord in writing. Many states and cities require landlords to provide adequate heat. In New York City, for example, heat season runs from October 1 to May 31 and you can report a lack of heat to 311 (NYC HPD tenants' guide).

What not to do

Leaving a heater running in an empty room.
Using an old heater with no tip-over or overheat shut-off.
Buying a heater without a safety certification mark from a recognized testing lab.

Good to know

Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires in the US, and space heaters are involved in a large share of heating fire deaths (NFPA, USFA).
Have working smoke alarms and a CO alarm on every level of your home.
The U.S. Fire Administration's latest published national trends for heating fires cover 2014 to 2023; 2026 figures aren't published yet.

In Chicago, Aisha's radiator stops working in January. She texts her landlord and calls 311, and uses an electric heater plugged straight into the wall, 3 feet from the couch. She turns it off at night and puts away the propane heater a friend lent her, which wasn't made for indoor use.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on October 18, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for the 3-foot rule, the wall-outlet rule and the carbon monoxide warnings; medium for the statistics, which are national estimates for earlier years. This guide describes common cases, not a diagnosis.