Question about using a small space heater

**Dsunny1** · 09-30-2006, 01:27 PM

There is a really good deal for a small space heater and humidifyer right now at my local store. My question, is it cheaper to run the small electric (ceramic) heater for a period of time, while we are watching t.v. in evenings instead of turning on the Heat in the house? I am trying to hold off turning the heat on, but it is getting cold here, if it was cheaper to use a small heater for a few hours in the room we are in, I'd definately go for it. Let me know what you think

Thanks Jen

**FrugalMomof3** · 09-30-2006, 03:00 PM

That's a good question, when purchasing the heater it should have given you an estimate of what the costs of running it would be, check there first.

If all else fails you might want to run it for a bit one month then when you receive your electric bill you can compare costs.

Let us know how it turns out.

**pkellyc** · 10-01-2006, 08:03 PM

I don't run one but I read somewhere that ceramic is the way to go.

**banana** · 10-01-2006, 08:35 PM

You should call up your electric co and ask them. I called mine last year and they were able to tell me that if I run a 1500 watt heater 6 hours a day 7 days a week it would cost me $27.00 a month. Depending on your electric rates it could be higher or lower.

**ewokgirl** · 10-06-2006, 01:06 PM

I would think it would be cheaper. We have vaulted ceilings throughout our house, so the heat rises. It would cost way too much to turn up the heater enough to really warm the whole house. Instead, we have a space heater that I move around the house with me as needed. I have no doubt it's cheaper for me to run that little heater right where I am, as opposed to turning up the heat throughout the entire house. I have no statistics or anything to back me up, but it sounds like common sense to me.

However, if you're talking about running space heaters exclusively in place of the house heater, then I don't know.

**lottaLove** · 10-06-2006, 01:35 PM

I think that if you're constantly running the space heater 24/7, you might not be saving that much money, but if you're just using it to warm up a bit while watching tv, etc., then that is probably the way to go.

Just make sure you don't leave it on while you're sleeping.

**Neeley** · 10-06-2006, 03:27 PM

We only use space heaters in our house. Our gas bill (the only thing in our house that used gas was the heater) ran about $250.00 a month and that was before natural gas went up 47% in our area. We had the gas disconnected and purchased a couple of space heaters. Our power bill only went up about ten dollars a month. But we are in central/south Alabama and it rarely gets into the 20's or 30's. This only happens a couple of times a year. We are still running our AC now and our temps are still in the 90's. So I am not sure how well they would do for areas where it actually gets cold and stays cold.

**YankeeMom** · 10-06-2006, 05:35 PM

I *definitely* think it's better to use a space heater to warm up one room (where everyone is) than to let the furnace run to heat the whole house.

We use a space heater in our living room too. It heats the room up 3-4 degrees easily. Not bad considering it's a fairly large room w/ two large windows and 11ft ceilings

**SHOPGIRL** · 10-07-2006, 03:53 PM

I used space heaters last year, and I really think I did save. I turned down the heat, then whatever room I was in, I ran one. However, I didn't use a cheap space heater, I used one called a Vornado. The estimated cost was $.10 an hour to run. Not bad, and it really did heat up the room.

**Dsunny1** · 10-17-2006, 09:47 PM

Well I bought a ceramic space heater for $35.00 (it was supposed to be 49.99, but was marked wrong). It is programable for the temperature setting and time to run. It shuts off when it hit the temp you have it set on and comes back on when the temp falls below that level. I love it! It actually keeps my heat from turning on at night by keeping our front room (where the thermostat is at 60 degrees).. It takes the chill out of the bottom floor of our house and I don't feel the need to turn on the heat at all. Thanks for all the advice. I might go get 2 small ones for my kid's rooms also.

**Kim1979** · 10-20-2006, 12:54 PM

We use 2 space heaters in our house. I have the metal ones. I love them. We got our gas turned off, so we needed to buy those until we can afford the gas bill. Anyway, the space heaters are wonderful. I'm from Wisconsin and right now it is about 40 outside. Inside my house it is 63, I think they are wonderful.

Kim

**littlemotherhaywood** · 10-22-2006, 12:18 PM

We have a small space heater we used in dd's room last year as her room was pretty cold and we also had two kerosene heaters we used from time to time. They warmed a room up completely in less than thirty minutes and then we could shut them off. I think paid $50 for each of them and then probably that much twice to fill up our jugs. My dh got this stuff you add so it doesn't smell.

**starsapphire** · 10-23-2006, 11:33 AM

We have a ten gallon propane tank which we use in the summer for our BBQ grill and we have a propane heater that mounts right on the top of the tank which DH uses in the garage in the winter when he has the occasional project to work on in there. Recently we've been using it in the house as a space heater and it works rather well. It won't replace our wall mounted natural gas heater when the weather gets colder but right now the weather is perfect for it, its been getting down into the 30's at night and 80's in the afternoon so its great for taking the chill out of the air in the morning.

**schellie69** · 11-02-2006, 12:09 PM

My electric company told me that it was cheaper to run the electrical heaters in the winter because in winter electric prices are lower, i am using electric heaters to help keep the gas heater from coming on as much, i will post and let you all know what my electric bill looks like... I am hoping to keep my gas bill down this year.