shana
I live in colorado and just moved into a house with electric heaters along the bases of all the walls. I can tell just by looking at the heaters that they are old and I am assuming that they are not very energy efficient because of their age. I read that an electric fireplace cost roughly 8 cents an hour to use. My electric bill has been over 200.00 for the past 2 months now and I have done everything I can to lower it. The heaters are the only thing really that are out of my control and I am pretty sure they are the reason my bills have been so high. Any help would be great.
All of the windows are brand new and I am doing the zone heating right now. Only using the heaters if I am in the room. No one thinks that the age of the heaters could be affecting the amount of electricity they are using? Surely something that is 20 or 30 years newer would be more efficient?
Answer
An electric heater is an electric heater, you get so many B.T.U.'S per Kilowatt hour. Doesn't matter if it's a baseboard or portable. Jesus, if it's been costing you 200/mth and it isn't even cold yet, you better tie your bootlaces and get ready for the Dec. Jan. Feb bills. They are going to be at LEAST twice as much as you have been paying so far. Only thing I can think is that it's an old house without a lick of insulation in it. I'd say dress warmly and use a portable heater or fireplace in front of you and turn the heat down in the rest of the house.
**If you are using 200.00/mth right now, that means you are using 1538.46 kilowatt hours with Colorados price of . 13/kw. At that price, you should be able to run 11-1500 watt heaters, 24 hours a day for a month. I realize you are not only using it for heat but that's the kind of power you can use for that much money. SOMETHING is wrong and it's not that your heaters are old. (makes no difference.) I'd suggest you shut down your main breaker and then go outside and see if your meter is still running. If it is, one of your neighbors is stealing power from you or there's a drain that shouldn't be there. Your bill is uncharacteristically high for Colorado at this time of the year but the power is going somewhere....
An electric heater is an electric heater, you get so many B.T.U.'S per Kilowatt hour. Doesn't matter if it's a baseboard or portable. Jesus, if it's been costing you 200/mth and it isn't even cold yet, you better tie your bootlaces and get ready for the Dec. Jan. Feb bills. They are going to be at LEAST twice as much as you have been paying so far. Only thing I can think is that it's an old house without a lick of insulation in it. I'd say dress warmly and use a portable heater or fireplace in front of you and turn the heat down in the rest of the house.
**If you are using 200.00/mth right now, that means you are using 1538.46 kilowatt hours with Colorados price of . 13/kw. At that price, you should be able to run 11-1500 watt heaters, 24 hours a day for a month. I realize you are not only using it for heat but that's the kind of power you can use for that much money. SOMETHING is wrong and it's not that your heaters are old. (makes no difference.) I'd suggest you shut down your main breaker and then go outside and see if your meter is still running. If it is, one of your neighbors is stealing power from you or there's a drain that shouldn't be there. Your bill is uncharacteristically high for Colorado at this time of the year but the power is going somewhere....
Which is more efficient? Using a gas fireplace or an electric space heater?
John
I have a home built in 2004, masonry fireplace with metal flue and a Home Depot gas log set. My question, is whether it is cheaper to run the fireplace to add a little warmth to the den or to use a ceramic type electric space heater. From what I've read, a fireplace is very inefficient. However, gas is more efficient and cheaper than electricity. You do get a fan, oscillation, etc out of the space heater, but gas is a thermally more efficient than electricity and much cheaper. I also have a solar voltaic system that covers about 50% of my normal electricity usage, so that may also skew the real equation of relative costs.
Answer
It is more efficient to use your electric space heater unless you had a fireplace insert. After reading your question it sounds like you just have a flue and not an insert. If you only have a flue and no insert is present, then most of the heat generated by the fireplace logs is going up and out the flue. Thus, it is more efficient to run the electric space heater. In addition, you have a solar voltaic system to increase the efficiency of your electric heater. However, if you had a fireplace insert and not just a flue, then it would be more efficient to burn gas rather than run the heater.
-Miller's One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning
It is more efficient to use your electric space heater unless you had a fireplace insert. After reading your question it sounds like you just have a flue and not an insert. If you only have a flue and no insert is present, then most of the heat generated by the fireplace logs is going up and out the flue. Thus, it is more efficient to run the electric space heater. In addition, you have a solar voltaic system to increase the efficiency of your electric heater. However, if you had a fireplace insert and not just a flue, then it would be more efficient to burn gas rather than run the heater.
-Miller's One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning
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Title Post: Can an electric fireplace help lower my electric bill?
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thank FOr Coming TO My Blog
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