Electric baseboard vs electric fan heater
We moved into a place that has electric baseboard heaters. Never had these before and very quickly realized how horribly inefficient they are. I’m used to spending $200+/month in the Midwest summers on AC. But we’re now spending $300+/month in the winter on heat. Our coldest month was over $400 to heat our way through it. There’s got to be a better way to get heat.
I have a couple of plug in electric fan heaters that I’ve always used randomly for a little extra heat in our old places. Never noticed a significant change in our electric bill when using them but I’ve never fully relied on them for heat either. So I’m wondering if these will be more efficient or if it’ll be roughly the same?
Also, we’re renting and there’s no gas run to this building at all so gas heaters are not an option.
Thanks in advance
Replies
Both are resistance electric heat. about the most expensive source possible. The only way the portable heaters will cost you less, is if you use them on less space, lower the temperature, or use less often.
best bet is to turn down the temp and wear a sweater.
Thanks for the response. Does it make a difference in which space heater you buy? Do they even try to make them energy efficient?
I guess going the space heater route, at least I can control the temperature better. Instead of these horrible dials in every room and no actual way to tell what temperature I'm shooting for.
Any heater you just plug in will use electric resistance heat. some have fans, and some not. Your best bet is to match the capacity to the size of your needs. Some will have built-in timers. If you buy timers to plug heaters into, make sure the ratings are up to speed. Reducing temperatures where/when you do not need it warm will help.
You can look into Kerosene heaters, but they come with their own issues.
I don't have numbers for this but a bigger heater will probably be more efficient for the same amount of heat put out so if you can control each room individually, you may be better off using the baseboard heaters. Plus they may be safer (see below). Unless you want to sit in a cold room and point a smaller heater at your chair. Having a kerosene heater is probably a good idea in case the power goes out.
We lived in a place that had gas-powered hot water baseboad heat but we payed $400+ for heat a month because the house was in poor shape. Decided to turn the heat down and heat one room with an electric heater. Two things happened: 1) the electric heater almost started a fire because the outlet got overheated and melted and 2) the temperature in the rest of the house got low enough that the water in the radiator pipes froze and the pipes burst. You don't have radiator pipes but do watch out for the plumbing if you turn the heat way down.
I've used oil filled electric radiators to take the chill out of our unheated basement and also the unfinished side of the 2nd fl (small Cape design house)
as nomorecoffee noted, there is a fire hazard with electric heaters, so check what the heater draws and what the circuit can handle. recognize that the heater might not be the only large draw on that circuit
good luck
I remember when I was in a similar situation, trying to find a more efficient heating solution. It's like a constant battle between staying warm and keeping costs down, right? I've heard mixed reviews about plug-in electric fan heaters, but they might be worth a try for some extra warmth without breaking the bank. Have you considered looking into Night storage heaters? They're designed to be more energy-efficient and could potentially help lower your heating costs.