Want to find out how much electricity your snow melting mats use? The cost of operating HeatTrak Mats is likely our most frequently asked question.

After all, the mats run on electricity, so instinct tells us that this might cause our electricity usage to jump. It makes sense if you think about it, but in reality this isn’t the case.

Don’t worry, the mats won't add a huge expense to your energy bill. Some of our customers even tell us they don’t notice any effect on their bill whatsoever! Ultimately, the cost depends on what your local electric company charges.

However, there are few factors involved that we’ll dig into below. Ready?


What do HeatTrak mats cost to operate?

There isn’t one right answer that will completely cover this question. The cost to run your snow melting mats will depend on the size of the mats. Obviously the larger the mat, the more electricity it uses. Ergo, some mats will cost more to operate than others. 

However, we can give you a ballpark average on how much electricity the mats use, along with a couple of examples based on what we’ve seen in our experience with using HeatTrak mats at home.

For example, let’s say you have a system comprising of two walkway mats and three stair mats. This setup will cost you approximately 15 cents per hour.

But here’s the thing:

You only need to turn the mats on when it’s snowing. If you’re running your HeatTrak mats for 10 hours over the course of a snowstorm, that will cost you less than $2 every time it snows.

Essentially, you don’t want to keep your mats operating 24/7. For example, an entire month of running them straight in that way will likely make an impact on your electricity bill. However, if you operating the mats only while snow is falling you can expect that you won’t see a significant jump in cost.

We recommend that you turn on the mats a few hours prior to an expected snowfall (so they’re warmed up and ready to melt flakes as they hit the mats) and keep them running for a little while after the snow stops. 

In fact, it’s quite possible that your setup will cost much less than 15 cents per hour to operate. Stair mats cost a mere penny per hour to run. If you have a system of five stair mats, the electricity it costs to run them will be a mere five cents per hour. 

At the end of the day, your electricity bill will depend on several factors, such as whether or not your home is winterized, the size of your snow melting mats, and how much your local energy company charges for electricity.

If you’d like to determine just how HeatTrak mats will affect your energy costs, we have a method for figuring that out. Grab a copy of your most recent electricity bill and head to our Electricity Usage Calculator. 

With this handy tool, you can calculate as many scenarios as you want for running heated snow melting mats. But if you need some help doing the math, get in touch with us! Our customer support team is always happy to help you with estimates.