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Like much of the country, temperatures are well-below average in my neck of the woods. But since just over a week ago I had the air conditioner on, it’s hard for me to go straight to blasting the heat. So my house feels a bit like a meat locker. To resolve the issue I pulled my space heater out of the attic and cranked it up right next to my feet. Turns out this can be an incredible way to save money, too. |
If you spend most of your day in one room (like I do) then a space heater is a great way to go. For every one degree you lower your thermostat for an eight hour period, you can save 1% on your annual heating bill, according to experts. And if you’re running multiple space heaters, then you may not be saving yourself any money at all.
Before you run out an buy yourself a space heater, do a little research. There are two basic types of space heaters: radiant and convection. Radiant heaters pretty much only heat up what’s closest to them (ie. my feet) while a convection heater is better at warming surrounding areas. Want to figure out how much it’s going to cost to operate that space heater? Figure out how much you pay per kilowatt hour. Grab your last monthly electric bill and divide the amount you owe by your kilowatt usage. This will give you the cost per kilowatt hour. Next, find out how powerful your space heater is and use this formula: wattage x .001 x cents per kWh. If you have a 1,500 watt space heater and you’re paying 15 cents per kilowatt hour the formula would look like this: 1,500 x .001 x .15 = .225, or about 23 cents per hour. That’s not a bad price to pay for toasty feet.
Keep in mind that space heaters can be dangerous. They’re responsible for thousands of house fires every year. When you’re shopping for yours look for features like protective grills and guards, automatic shut-off, and a kill switch that turns the unit off if it tips over. Keep the unit at least three feet away from drapery or fabric and don’t use it while you’re sleeping. Keeping it turned on only while you’re in the same room will ensure that your space heater does its job without doing any damage.