Propane and oil prices are continuously rising, especially during the bitter cold months of the winter. Even central heating that runs off of electric can use more electric than a space heater. Space heaters offer an economical way to supplement the central heating source in small spaces of your home.
However space heaters are not meant to be your main source of heat and will rarely be useful if you intend to heat an entire home. But as a way to supplement the heat you already have they can be extremely effective at providing heat and without costing too much.
Choose Your Space Heater Wisely
When you are choosing the best space heater for your home then you would do well to consider a radiant space heater to heat a small space, and an infrared heater if you are intending to heat an entire room.
According to Good Housekeeping, for every degree you set your home thermostat back over eight hours, you save about 1 percent on your heating bill yearly. Thus if you can turn down your heating and selectively use a space heater to warm small areas you have a good chance of saving money.
- According to the Department of Energy, small space heaters can be less expensive to use if you need to heat or supplement heat in a room.
- Consumer Reports experts have also said if you need to supplement the heat in less than half your home, you should be able to reduce overall energy costs.
- The Biophysics Center has stated choosing an electric heater can save money if used properly.
- Even Energy.gov states space heaters can be less expensive to use to heat one room, supplement the heat in a room or boost the temperature of a room for those that are sensitive to the cold without overheating the entire home.
- This proves that the use of space heaters in small spaces, instead of turning the costly electric, oil or propane heat up in your entire home, you will save money.
To give an example of why you would wish to warm one room only as opposed to a whole house, it may be that you are working from home and heating the home while your spouse and children are away would be unnecessary and wasteful. A space heater would be ideal in such a situation.
So do space heaters really save money?
The answer is yes, they can save money if used properly and sensibly and are needed to supplement heat in less than half your home or one room. If you purchase the proper space heater for your situation and slightly lower the heat in the entire home, you will stay warm without the higher cost.
A Final Word
We should leave with a warning however, space heaters if used to heat a room or a home for longer periods of time the costs can add up quickly and can in the end surpass alternative heating costs. This is not intended to negate the aforementioned advice, but to simply state that when using space heaters always have an eye to the bigger picture.
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