Electric/whole room heaters

Our new budget payment plan for heat (gas forced air) is $248.00/month, more than double what it was last year. I about choked when I opened the bill. To help with costs, we are considering getting a whole room heater, preferable a portable one that we can take upstairs at night (although I would consider buying more than one also). I have seen the ads for the Eden pure systems, but they didn't get very good reviews from what I can see. Anyone have any experience with these kinds of heaters, any brand?

:eek: My Stars & winter has not even set in yet.. Thats a horrible amount to have to pay.. I have central heat & a/c.. Now the winter gas bill might run $100.00.. Also I have ceiling fans in each room to which I run non stop.. Dont know much about space heaters.. Make sure they cant catch anything on fire..

Hubby and I just turn our heat way down and use electric blankets at night. Of course it makes you think twice if you have to get up and use "the facilities" in the middle of the night! :o BRRR! I don't have any experience with any heaters but I would assume an electric heater could be expensive to run. Don't know though.

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Originally Posted by lvpets2002

:eek: My Stars & winter has not even set in yet.. Thats a horrible amount to have to pay.. I have central heat & a/c.. Now the winter gas bill might run $100.00.. Also I have ceiling fans in each room to which I run non stop.. Dont know much about space heaters.. Make sure they cant catch anything on fire..

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We are on the budget plan, which means that we pay the same amount all year. Over the summer, when the bills are only about $15, we don't pay that much, but starting about now we get the new amount and start paying into it. I've paid the $248 for two months now, and so far we have about a $300 credit. The gas companies are predicting that the cost of heat is going to skyrocket, so they raised the budget amounts to be very high.

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Originally Posted by Pam

Hubby and I just turn our heat way down and use electric blankets at night. Of course it makes you think twice if you have to get up and use "the facilities" in the middle of the night! :o BRRR! I don't have any experience with any heaters but I would assume an electric heater could be expensive to run. Don't know though.

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I have an electric blanket and an electric bed liner that goes under the fitted sheet, so I'd be happy to use just that. We need to keep it warm enough for Ty though. I was wondering about the cost of running the electric heater too, although it might be worth it if it's less than what we are paying now!

Here in the south, you'd think my monthly bills would be pretty small. I've been paying $230. a month on the budget system. That's $15 more than last year. My actual use for last month was around $100. I heat with natural gas and the same utility company provides electricity. I've reset the programable thermostat to lower heat temperatures and added throws and sweaters to the couch decor. Next month will be the first month with no A/C use. We'll see if I've done good or not.

My renter complained last year that the den was very cold in the winter. So this year I bought a small fireplace for her. It's actually a plug-in heater that looks like a fireplace. I warned her that her bill would be affected. Last year her heating bills were in the $400 a month range for December thru February. As a single mother, she was really hurting. I hope she uses the 'fireplace' judiciously.

I really can't see using them as the only heating supply. I think they would be too expensive.

I use a space heater for hannah's room and it's one of the "energy saver" kinds. But off the top of my head I cannot think of the brand right now. When she gets up from her nap I will check it out and get back to you.

it works great. I use it at night in her room rather than cranking the electric baseboard heater waaaay up

All I can suggest is check Consumer Reports at your library.

You can do an on line search so you know which issue to ask for at the Reference Desk.

When Jonah was small (under 3), I kept the heat set higher- maybe 68 or 70, since I couldn't count on him staying covered. Now, the heat is set at 60. I bundle up, he bundles up, and we do use two small space heaters, one in the bathroom, and one in the living room. The living room one is sometimes on and directed towards the front porch, to keep it warm for the cats when they sit out there. I leave the windows closed up, and they sit on a bench to watch the birds at the feeder. It isn't economical at all, and I only do it for an hour or so.

I heard the heater on yesterday, and, it was a warm day for us (65). Jonah had the heater on, pointed towards the porch, with the windows opened! Ack! I was heating my neighborhood.

Thanks everyone! I wouldn't use the heater for the main souce of heat, but if we could turn the heat down a good bit at least at times, I think it will save some.

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Originally Posted by Cataholic

The living room one is sometimes on and directed towards the front porch, to keep it warm for the cats when they sit out there. I leave the windows closed up, and they sit on a bench to watch the birds at the feeder. It isn't economical at all, and I only do it for an hour or so.

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I had to lol at this - only a PTer would heat the outside for their pets!! ;)

I use a small electric space heater in my enclosed patio because, even though it's heated, w/all the windows it just doesn't stay warm enough. It definitely keeps the room cozy, especially for the Fur Posse because they love it out there, but it increases my electric bill significantly. A word of caution: don't use an extension cord w/it. You can burn the house down. :)

Our budget bill is now $256 per month, so I feel your pain.

In my experience, running an electric space heater is also very expensive.

If you have old windows, putting the "shrink wrap" stuff over them in the window helps a lot. And I would DIE without my electric blanket.