Alternative-Heating-Info.com
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The Truth About Space Heater Efficiency
Those of us using a space heater to add a little extra comfort to a favorite room, or
attempting the zone heating strategy to reduce overall heating costs, realize we’re
also adding to the monthly electric bill.
So it’s only natural in this era of energy conservation that consumers would be
concerned with space heater efficiency.
We’ve all seen the yellow EnergyGuide tags that estimate the yearly operating costs
for a wide variety of household appliances, but unfortunately they don’t exist for
electric space heaters.
The reason for this omission is stated by the EPA on the Energy Star website: “EPA
does not currently label space heaters as an ENERGY STAR qualified product, but has
evaluated them and has no plans to label them in the near future.”
In lieu of any concrete guidance from the EPA, consumers are left to fend for
themselves in their quest for an efficient space heater.
For most of us non-scientific types the definition of energy efficiency is simply getting
the level of service we expect from an appliance for the least amount of energy.
Despite manufacturer’s claims to the contrary, there isn’t a difference in efficiency
among the hundreds of makes and models of space heaters worth noting; which is a
possible explanation for the EPA’s decision to ignore this category of electrical
appliance altogether.
So rather than spend time chasing the elusive “most efficient space heater” we’ll look
at ways to improve a space heater’s heating efficiency.
Make use of the heater's thermostat
Although you could argue that an electric heater with a thermostat is more efficient
than one without, a heater’s thermostat functions in the same way as your home’s
furnace. If it is set too high the heater will continually cycle “on” to keep up with
unrealistic demand and waste a substantial amount of energy.
For example, using a rate of 12¢ per kWh (kilowatt hour) it costs 18¢ per hour (1.5 x .
12¢) to run a standard 1,500 watt space heater at full power. But if you set the
thermostat to a comfort level that requires the heater to run only 75% of the time
you’ll save almost 5¢ an hour. Over the course of the heating season this would add
up to around $65 – or 20 Happy Meals.
Measuring heating efficiency
One way to measure the heating efficiency of a space heater is by how fast it heats
the room. It stands to reason that the quicker a room gets up to temperature the
sooner the thermostat will shut the heater off.
The fastest way to distribute heat throughout a room is by incorporating a fan into the
heater. Although fan noise is an annoyance for some people, a space heater equipped
with a fan will warm up a room three times faster than one without.
Another measure of space heater efficiency is how evenly the heat is distributed
throughout the room. Balanced heat distribution is best accomplished by an oscillating
(side to side motion) heater or one designed to efficiently move large amounts of air
throughout the room.
How relative humidity affects space heater performance
The humidity of your home also affects the performance of a space heater. A room
with higher humidity will feel warmer at a lower temperature than its drier counterpart.
So if you are running a room humidifier and space heater simultaneously you could
probably set the thermostat on the heater a few degrees lower without sacrificing
comfort.
Mastering the art of zone heating
Zone heating is a technique used to reduce fuel consumption by limiting the ambient
temperature in your home to 62°, or less, and using a portable heater to heat only
the room(s) you occupy. This sounds good in theory, but in reality most people fail in
their attempt at zone heating because the change from a comfortable 72° to a
somewhat chilly 62° is too drastic.
The best way to implement the zone heating strategy is to give your body (and mind)
a reasonable amount of time to acclimate to the new regime. Instead of dialing back
the furnace thermostat 12 degrees all at once, try lowering the temperature by one or
two degrees every few days.
Weatherize your rooms
We’ve all listened to the “weatherize your home” sermon so often we don’t even hear
it anymore. But spending a few dollars on foam insulation and window film realizes
immediate, tangible benefits. Not only does weatherizing eliminate annoying drafts
making the room more comfortable, you’ll notice the heater doesn’t cycle on as often,
or as long, as it did before.
So the logical assumption would have to be that the most efficient space heater is the
one that runs the least.
attempting the zone heating strategy to reduce overall heating costs, realize we’re
also adding to the monthly electric bill.
So it’s only natural in this era of energy conservation that consumers would be
concerned with space heater efficiency.
We’ve all seen the yellow EnergyGuide tags that estimate the yearly operating costs
for a wide variety of household appliances, but unfortunately they don’t exist for
electric space heaters.
The reason for this omission is stated by the EPA on the Energy Star website: “EPA
does not currently label space heaters as an ENERGY STAR qualified product, but has
evaluated them and has no plans to label them in the near future.”
In lieu of any concrete guidance from the EPA, consumers are left to fend for
themselves in their quest for an efficient space heater.
For most of us non-scientific types the definition of energy efficiency is simply getting
the level of service we expect from an appliance for the least amount of energy.
Despite manufacturer’s claims to the contrary, there isn’t a difference in efficiency
among the hundreds of makes and models of space heaters worth noting; which is a
possible explanation for the EPA’s decision to ignore this category of electrical
appliance altogether.
So rather than spend time chasing the elusive “most efficient space heater” we’ll look
at ways to improve a space heater’s heating efficiency.
Make use of the heater's thermostat
Although you could argue that an electric heater with a thermostat is more efficient
than one without, a heater’s thermostat functions in the same way as your home’s
furnace. If it is set too high the heater will continually cycle “on” to keep up with
unrealistic demand and waste a substantial amount of energy.
For example, using a rate of 12¢ per kWh (kilowatt hour) it costs 18¢ per hour (1.5 x .
12¢) to run a standard 1,500 watt space heater at full power. But if you set the
thermostat to a comfort level that requires the heater to run only 75% of the time
you’ll save almost 5¢ an hour. Over the course of the heating season this would add
up to around $65 – or 20 Happy Meals.
Measuring heating efficiency
One way to measure the heating efficiency of a space heater is by how fast it heats
the room. It stands to reason that the quicker a room gets up to temperature the
sooner the thermostat will shut the heater off.
The fastest way to distribute heat throughout a room is by incorporating a fan into the
heater. Although fan noise is an annoyance for some people, a space heater equipped
with a fan will warm up a room three times faster than one without.
Another measure of space heater efficiency is how evenly the heat is distributed
throughout the room. Balanced heat distribution is best accomplished by an oscillating
(side to side motion) heater or one designed to efficiently move large amounts of air
throughout the room.
How relative humidity affects space heater performance
The humidity of your home also affects the performance of a space heater. A room
with higher humidity will feel warmer at a lower temperature than its drier counterpart.
So if you are running a room humidifier and space heater simultaneously you could
probably set the thermostat on the heater a few degrees lower without sacrificing
comfort.
Mastering the art of zone heating
Zone heating is a technique used to reduce fuel consumption by limiting the ambient
temperature in your home to 62°, or less, and using a portable heater to heat only
the room(s) you occupy. This sounds good in theory, but in reality most people fail in
their attempt at zone heating because the change from a comfortable 72° to a
somewhat chilly 62° is too drastic.
The best way to implement the zone heating strategy is to give your body (and mind)
a reasonable amount of time to acclimate to the new regime. Instead of dialing back
the furnace thermostat 12 degrees all at once, try lowering the temperature by one or
two degrees every few days.
Weatherize your rooms
We’ve all listened to the “weatherize your home” sermon so often we don’t even hear
it anymore. But spending a few dollars on foam insulation and window film realizes
immediate, tangible benefits. Not only does weatherizing eliminate annoying drafts
making the room more comfortable, you’ll notice the heater doesn’t cycle on as often,
or as long, as it did before.
So the logical assumption would have to be that the most efficient space heater is the
one that runs the least.
