Are the new portable electric heaters being advertised as good as they sound?
Each year when the ads crop up, our phones start ringing about these “new” portable electric space heaters. Actually these heaters have been on the market for several years now — along with their high prices and outrageous claims of energy savings.
“It is important to understand that any portable electric heater will produce 3,413 BTUs of heat for each kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed,” said Clark Public Utilities Energy Counselor Rick Cantonwine. “The wattage of a heater determines how much heat it will produce.”
“Any 1,500-watt heater will produce an equal amount of heat, regardless of its price or so-called special features or new technology. All electric space heaters are 100 percent efficient because there is no heat lost in ducts or up a flue.” In other words, a $40 heater is as energy-efficient as a $400 heater.
• Cutting back on use of your furnace: “It’s true people can save on central heating costs by using a portable space heater — but only if they turn their central system down or even off to save a lot. For most people that just doesn’t seem practical.”
It’s true for every degree you lower your heating thermostat, you can save from 1 percent to 3 percent on the heating portion of your utility bill. However, depending on how many space heaters are operating and for how long, any savings could be eaten up.
• Types of electric portable heaters: When shopping for an electric space heater, consider where it will be used. Radiant heaters are designed for spot heating. They heat objects or people versus heating a room’s air.
Convective heaters, on the other hand, move heated air around the room with a fan or by using natural air currents. With an internal thermostat (like your furnace), it will cycle on or off to maintain a desired temperature. They can supplement heat in a room and may allow you to turn down the heat in the rest of the house, if you’re able to isolate the room. If not, the space heater will run continually trying to maintain the desired temperature — defeating any energy-saving intentions.
• Operate heaters safely: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated in 1994 (most recent data available) that electric space heaters were “associated with 2,400 fires resulting in 80 deaths, 240 injuries and $48.2 million in property loss.”
Buy a heater that is Underwriters Laboratories-approved with an automatic safety shut-off. Do not leave an operating heater unattended and keep drapes and flammable materials away from it. If you have young children, you’ll want a heater whose exterior stays cool, with any heating coils are protected. Finally, read product literature to select a size appropriate to the room you’ll be heating.
The Energy Adviser is written by members of the energy counselor team of Clark Public Utilities, who provide conservation and energy use information to utility customers. Send questions to energyadviser@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA. 98668. A panel of local energy efficiency and energy product specialists will review your questions. Previous topics are available at http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
