Costs to run an electric space heater

[Kaleva]

Electricity costs me close to .20 cents a kwh so running a space heater or two much of the day can get pretty pricey. However, I'm keeping the thermostat at 55 (except in the evening I put it at 62 for a few hours and turn it back to 55 when I go to bed) but unless I'm active, that can feel rather chilly if I'm just sitting here at the computer and also not feeling well. So I got a space heater from the basement and have it running at the 750 watt setting here in the office where I'm at right now. It does feel much more comfortable with the space heater going.


"Remember this

A $250 electric space heater rated for 1,500 Watts and a $20 space heater rated for 1,500 Watts both cost the same on the electric bill and both produce the same amount of heat. One looks like a piece of furniture and the other looks like a space heater. Choose wisely."

http://energyboomer.typepad.com/energyboomer/2010/01/how-much-will-it-cost-to-run-my-electric-space-heater.html

[hlthe2b]

1. Until it gets down below 20 degrees outside, I don't even turn on central heat...

I can generally keep the temp near 60 degrees without central heat on, as it is pretty well insulated and has lots of windows facing South east or Southwest... But, I have a 12 foot Schefflera tree that I struggle with every winter, as it really needs to maintain 60-65 degrees or its leaves start dropping precipitously. I'm keeping a space heater blowing out just in front of it, set on 60 degrees. While it does cycle off (generally all day), it does tend to run much of the night. The other space heater in the bedroom upstairs. hardly ever even kicks on at night (likewise set on 60-62).

So, while I am likely saving a lot on gas, I have a feeling my electric bill may still be pretty high... I'm wondering if I'd be better to bump up the central heat just a tad more to avoid the space heater downstairs from kicking on all night... (what I do for my plants and animals...LOL )

[Kaleva]

2. I've got 2 space heaters going and the house temp is maintaining at 54 degrees.

I turned the thermostat down to 50 after I got both space heaters going so I'd get an idea as to what the house temp will be when just using the heaters. According to The weather Channel website, it's 13 degrees outside.

One is in the office where I'm at and the other is in the kitchen. Both are set at 750 watts. I'm comfortable here in the office, wearing a jacket, and the heater here has cycled off and on a couple of times already.

[IrishAyes]

22. I've always thought Norfolk pines were breathtaking

But my house just stays too cold in the winter to grow them. Maybe if I'm ever so old I have to have more heat, I'll try again. Until then I'm sort of stuck. I even dry my laundry indoors in the winter on a line in the utility room except for huge heavy things like blankets, etc.

[hlthe2b]

25. I find Norfolk Island Pines very difficult...Even when I lived for a while in the South with natural

humidity, I couldn't keep them from dropping all their needles and turning brown...I probably over-watered or something, but every time I see them brought out at Christmas time, I just sort of cringe, knowing how unlikely they'd survive the season--at least with me.

They are very pretty, though.

[IrishAyes]

27. Well, I've got a green thumb, and I could overwinter them; but right now I can't afford to.

[cbayer]

3. There are a couple of things we rarely use on the boat because of huge energy consumption.

The space heater would top that list. We have to have the generator on to run it all.

We do use the eco-fan, though, and really like it.

You can use it on a wood stove or regular gas stove (if you get a cast iron pan or grill to sit it on).

http://www.caframo.com/hearth/hearth_products.php

[Kaleva]

5. I did not know that the Ecofan worked on gas stoves.

Such a device would probably work very well over at my other place given that the house is small and the kitchen is right next to the living room.

[cbayer]

7. You just need a flat surface to put it on.

It's really a remarkable little device.

[Kaleva]

8. I had thought of putting in a vent free wall mounted 10k btu/h space heater...

But the Ecofan would be much simpler as the gas stove is already there and I believe the largest top burner is rated at about 10k output. The price for an Ecofan is cheaper to a vent free space heater and one doesn't incur the cost of running another gas line.

The smaller Ecofan pushes up to 100 cfm of air which is comparable to what one wants out of a standard 6" diameter heat run supplied by a central heating system.

I'll have to keep this in mind if I ever move back there for any period of time during the heating season.

[IrishAyes]

23. I bought one of those; never thought about putting it on a cast iron pan though.

I don't have a woodstove, just a dual fuel floor heater that will take care of the whole house if I need it to. The iron pan would make the eco fan kick on sooner, wouldn't it? Thanks!

[cbayer]

26. I think it would make it kick on sooner and would distribute the heat

more efficiently.

Certainly worth a try.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. Have you tried the flower pot/candle setup yet?

It seems that if you are using an electric space heater, that would definitely be an option to try.

[Kaleva]

6. I don't think the flower pot candle setup would provide enough heat

An electric space heater using 750 watts produces close to 2600 btu/hr.

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. I see wattage discussed here, but not voltage -VOLTAGE is critical.

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110/120 is very inefficient - UK was wise to be mostly 220/240, approx 3x more efficient than 110/120.

Space heater of any wattage will cost you about 3x as much for the same amount of heat if you are using 110V.

There's a good reason that houses with the main heat source being electric use 220/240 volts for the heat.

You couldn't SELL a house heated with 110 - the costs would be astronomical!

Also 220/240 is efficient enough it rarely uses fans - so it's QUIET;

there's a bonus imo.

CBAYER - yup them EcoFans are great - I got two of them on top of my airtight wood stove.

These are mine - Model 810



Absolutely worth the $$ - I paid $100 each, but that was locally

- they can be bought cheaper online or at larger distributors.

And, they are whisper quiet - never hear them unless the stove is really cranking -

even then, it's just a whisper.

Love them!

CC

[Kaleva]

10. Very few, if any, have 240 outlets distributed throughout their homes.

But you bring up a good point about 240 being more efficient. One could install a 240 circuit to a room or rooms where one would like to use a 240v space heater.

The same thing applies to small a/c units. The 240v models are more less expensive to operate for the same number of btu/hs an hour as 110v models.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. Most Kitchen stoves and hot water heaters are 240

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Not hard to tap into those circuits - no major wiring required.

Just gotta keep track of which circuit uses how much wattage so ya don't overload existing fuses/breakers.

I just hooked up one 500W and one 750W baseboard heaters to my hot water breaker - not directly to the breaker,

but fed off the tank wiring itself (closer, less wiring).

Yep - I did the math - the breaker will handle the extra 1250W load.

Did this 2 months ago - everything is fine.

AND WARMER!



CC

ps: Hydro cost? about 4 - 6 kw/day (I read my hydro meter every morning - YEAH - I DO!) so 40 - 60 cents a day

[Kaleva]

13. The electrical code must be different where you live.

Where I live, certain electric appliances such as, but not limited to, water heaters, ovens, and dryers must be on their own dedicated circuits.

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. ummm - it's NOT to code, and I don't care.

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It works.



CC

ps: gov't peeps ain't the sharpest pencils in the pack - like that's news!

[Kaleva]

16. I wouldn't recommend your method to others though

If I'm running wire from my office to the water heater, I might as well just continue on to the circuit breaker so the 240v space heater(s) can be on their own dedicated circuit.

[RKP5637]

18. Yep, exactly, I used to work as an electrician. Code wise, it's a big NO NO. n/t

[ConcernedCanuk]

28. I realize that, BUT

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If my breaker can handle 4,000 watts, and total maximum load is 3,000 watts - what is the danger?

Besides, even IF total possible load was over the breaker's limit, the breaker would disconnect.

That would be a warning sign; also, in all my "illegal" wiring I have done,

I've never had a breaker flip.

Never.

I should add, on more than one occasion while I was "invading" properly approved up to code installations I found loose connections, chafing wires, insecure power boxes and more.

I am a licenced auto/truck mechanic - and in my years I have seen pretty shoddy work by other licensed "professionals" in my trade.

Electricians are no different, there are good ones, and there are irresponsible and sloppy ones.

Actually - I've found breakers where the wires were on the same side of the breaker!

SO THOSE BREAKERS WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING!

I repaired the licensed, "professional" work.

And I sleep better.

CC

[RKP5637]

31. Yep, sometimes a license means nothing about the correctness and quality of the work. n/t

[cbayer]

11. That's the same one I have. It's amazing.

I don't really know how it does what it does, but it does it really well.

I got mine for around $80 online. It's been tossed around and used a lot and still works flawlessly.

[ConcernedCanuk]

29. Here they are in action!

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Yep,

that's a picture from my couch a few weeks ago.

Thought you'd like to see that.



CC

[cbayer]

32. Perfect!

That looks so cozy.

I'm not sure I will ever use my again, now that I have moved further south.

But I will continue to recommend them.

Enjoy and stay warm this winter CC!!!

[Fumesucker]

20. Sorry, you buy power by the kilo*watt* hour so it's watts you pay for

Or more accurately watt-hours which is amps x volts x time. A kilowatt hour used at 100% efficiency will run a 1000 watt heater for one hour.

120 volts at ten amps is the same amount of power as 240 volts at five amps and will provide the same amount of heat.

Higher voltage does have a slight advantage since smaller diameter wire is needed to carry a given amount of watts, to get 1000 watts at 12 volts for instance requires 1000/12 or 83.33 amps which is going to take some roughly pencil sized copper conductors to carry reasonably efficiently.

A 12 volt electric heater that uses 83.3 amps is going to provide as much heat as a 120 volt heater that uses 8.33 amps, the wire connecting the heater though needs to be a little more than three times as large in diameter (the square root of 10).

[hlthe2b]

15. I just calculated my kwh charges here (Colorado)--boy, if you are paying .20c kwh, that's high

With taxes and fees incorporated, I'm paying 0.045 cents/kwh...

So, this article was very helpful. The "plant" (big Scheffler tree)- dedicated space heater downstairs is mostly cycling off during the day, but runs pretty continuously overnight, so I think the author's estimates are pretty accurate and it probably does make sense for me to continue to turn off central (gas) heat during the day, turn it on to about 58-60 degrees overnight and rely on a rarely active space heater upstairs in the bedroom and the main one downstairs as long as outside temp is above the single digits.

If all else fails, I have a very warm pup! LOL

[RKP5637]

19. Cost here is about .06/kwh, all elec. house, never had one before, but that's what

they use here. ... been able to keep elec. bill under $100 even w/central air cond. I kicked on the central heat today, and one space heater. I'll see what happens. I can read the elec. meter hr by hr the next day on the elec. co. web site.

That's been handy for me to see what costs what. Looks like there's about two feet of insulation in the attic. If I can keep the total elec. bill under 100/mo., that will work for me. I've been amazed at how cheap it is. Way cheaper than New England when I had oil heat, man did that cost a lot.

Temp/wind chill outside today is 34 F, but that's cold for here. Gulf coast.

[RKP5637]

17. Thanks for mentioning this! Watts = Watts. I think sometimes people get mislead

by advertising thinking paying more somehow saves on electricity. As you say, it's the watts that count ... and some of the reasonably priced heaters work extremely well. The more expensive ones are just pieces of furniture, and others are just gussied up with worthless gadgets.

Also, sometimes, people use several space heaters ... but sometime turning on the main furnace at a low setting is cheaper. What I sometimes do is turn on the main heater at a low setting to get the chill off, and then a small space heater set about the same as you have where I'm at ...

The house I moved to now is way smaller than my previous house ... there are lots of benefits IMO to having a small house in today's economy. I don't need all the glitter anymore, just survival.

[lumberjack_jeff]

21. In my area it costs about $0.50/day (8 hours) to run a space heater. n/t

[IrishAyes]

24. Often, codes can be ignored.

But everyone should remember that if non-code work even contributes to a fire, your insurance is worthless. Also, if you ever go to sell a home, buyers can't get loans.