January 2015

The TRUTH About Electric Space Heaters

As the temperature drops this winter, many of us are tempted to break out portable electric heaters to stay warm. Electric heaters come in various sizes, shapes and packages - from small plastic desktop variations to ornately decorated wooden cabinets, to comfort-minded infrared heaters. No matter how elaborate the cabinet that holds the heater, electric heating is basically the same.

It is possible to be comfortable, safe and reduce heating costs by keeping a few things in mind:

Portable heaters are for spot heating -if your goal is to help reduce energy costs, the thermostat for the main heating system must be turned down when using the portable heater. Use the portable heater to warm the space you are in and allow other areas to cool off if you aren't using them.
Electricity is efficient -all electric heating is 100% efficient. This means the energy that goes into an electric heater will come out as heat. This is true whether it is a radiant, convection, or fan-forced electric heater and whether it costs $25 or $500.
Select for safety -when buying and using an electric space heater, select one that automatically shuts off if tipped over and has protection over the heating element. Select a model that has a thermostat, so it doesn't run all the time. Avoid using extension cords when possible and never run an electric space heater when you are out of the house.-
A watt is a watt is a watt - the only feature of an electric heater that affects the amount of heat it generates is wattage. Some retailers sell what is basically a dressed-up 1,500 watt space heater for upwards of $400. However, it will put out the same amount of heat (and at the same cost) as an equivalent 1,500 watt heater which costs only $30.
Know operating costs -Some heater manufacturers promise to heat a room for 'pennies a day!'. It's important to know how much that heater is going to cost on your electric bill. You can figure operating cost using our space heater cost calculator.

Comfort is king - At the end of the day, your comfort is the most important factor in deciding when, where, and how often to use a space heater.

How to Choose a Space Heater

See How Your Energy Use Goes Up When the Temperatures Go Down!

Why is our bill so high, we didn't do anything different? You and many other members are seeing how cold weather directly affects electric use and thus increases the electric bill. Here are two very common reasons why electric use is up this time of year.

Holidays - Now that the decorations are all put away don't forget about the holidays. Extra lighting for decorations, cooking and maybe guests during the holiday season.
Mother Nature - The cold temperatures, and then factor in the wind chill, made many heating systems work harder. Many people also spent more time in their homes--it was too cold to go out, so they stayed at home and used more electricity maybe watching television or cooking.

See for yourself how YOUR energy use goes up when the temperatures go down! Use SmartHub to log into your account or create a SmartHub account. You can see a chart of your energy use like the one above. The bars represent your daily electric use in terms of kWh and the black dotted line is the average temperature for the day. You can also compare two months of energy history side by side.