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The Rural Missouri NEWS Service January
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February 2009 Don’t get burned with space heaters Space heating the smart way
Think small and short. A general rule of thumb is that space heaters are ideal for occasional use in a small space. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources notes that if you turn your central heating system down a few degrees and supplement the heat in a small area with a space heater, you will probably save energy. If you don’t turn the thermostat down and simply add more heat with the electric space heater, you will likely increase your total bill. You can turn down the thermostat and still be comfortable by managing your “thermal comfort.” Wear turtleneck sweaters and warm socks to feel warmer. At night, turn down the thermostat and stay warm with an electric blanket. You may be able to lower the thermostat by as much as 8 degrees and not feel any colder, while saving up to 15 percent on your heating bill, according to Gary Foremen writing in “Space Heater Efficiency”: www.thefrugallife.com. Look for other heating fixes for large spaces used continuously. Using a space heater continuously in a large space will likely use more electricity than other fixes. What are those other possible heating fixes? One is to have a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician improve the ducting to the room; ducts may have come loose from the main trunk and are feeding warm air into the attic or crawl space instead of that cool room. Another fix is to add insulation and to caulk and weatherstrip. An inexpensive fix is to strategically place fans at low speed to pull warm air from the rest of the house into the cooler space. These improvements will typically use less electricity than an electric space heater. Space heaters are energy hogs. Though electric space heaters are 100 percent efficient in converting electric current to heat, they also are energy hogs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, most space heaters use 3,000 to 11,000 watts! At that level of consumption, space heaters used to replace central heating could increase your overall energy costs by as much as 70 percent. To figure out the cost of using a space heater, multiply the heater’s consumption in watts (look in its manual or on the back of the unit) by the number of hours the heater is on. Then divide by 1,000 to convert to kilowatt-hours, and multiply that by your average cost per kilowatt-hour – look for the latter on your electric bill or ask your electric cooperative for the rate. So do electric space heaters make economic sense? Yes, for small spaces for short periods of time. Don’t use them as your primary source of heat. The pros and cons of electric space heaters The U.S. Department of Energy and Missouri Department of Natural Resources offer these pros and cons of electric space heaters: Pros
Cons
Space heaters cause more than 25,000 residential fires and 300 deaths annually in the United States, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Heaters can create a fire hazard when tipped over, placed too close to flammable objects or operated unsafely. Read the CPSC’s free brochure about space heaters at www.cpsc.gov or call (800) 638-2772 for a copy. Also see the U.S. Department of Energy’s information at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12600. These sources, plus Underwriters Laboratories (an independent product-testing organization), offer the following safety tips for space heaters:
Shop for the right electric space heater If you can justify the need — rather than merely the comfort of instant heat — for an electric space heater, there are lots of models and brands to choose from. To select the right heater for your needs, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources recommends:
Since the government doesn’t test the performance of all portable electric space heaters, it’s difficult to compare manufacturing claims. But you can go to the following Web sites for testing information or consumer reviews. And, remember buyer beware: only buy recognizable brands from a trusted source.
When looking at models, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Energy Center at www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/residential/spaceheaters.htm suggests asking these questions:
Underwriters Laboratories, an independent product-testing organization, advises looking for these important safety features:
Frequently asked questions about CFL bulbs What is a CFL? Can using CFL lighting really save energy and save money on my electric
bill?
Will a CFL bulb fit my light
fixture? Where should I use CFL
bulbs? Can I use CFL bulbs in a fully enclosed fixture? Can CFL lights be
dimmed? Can CFL bulbs be used where it is wet or
damp? Can CFL bulbs create interference with
electronic equipment? What about air temperature and CFL
bulbs? Can a CFL bulb be used in a dusk-to-dawn light
fixture? What about electronic
timers? Do CFL bulbs give off ultraviolet
light? How long does it take for a CFL to reach full
brightness? Should I be concerned about using CFLs in my
home? How do I safely dispose of a
CFL? What should I do if I break a
CFL?
Geothermal comes of age We are postponing our discussion of the 10 Commandments of Energy Efficiency for a very important announcement. In October, President Bush signed the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424). In addition to helping stabilize the nation’s financial markets, the law also extended and enhanced tax credits and financing related to renewable energy and energy efficiency. And I am pleased to announce that included in the tax credits are — can you believe it? — geothermal heat pumps! For years, I have been teaching you about the advantages of geothermal heat pumps. Many of you have installed such systems in your houses or businesses and have learned that geothermal provides the most economical heating and cooling available in the marketplace. (Not to mention a percentage of domestic hot water for practically free.) As I have said for years, 75 percent of the energy used in a geothermal heat pump is from solar British thermal units (Btus) that have been stored in the earth or, in other words, geothermal is 75 percent renewable energy. And it appears that the federal government now recognizes that. To me, just the recognition is huge. You see, no doubt about it, renewable energy can be feasible and is certainly needed. But it must be economically feasible for the average customer like you and me. Lets look at some popular renewable energy sources: No. 1: A typical solar voltaic system for a 2,000-square-foot house costs about $25,000. it would produce about 2 kilowatts for six hours per day (25 percent of the day) if the sun were shining. That means the system would produce enough electricity to power two 1,000-watt hair dryers. The estimated payback is around 50 years and the life expectancy of the system is 20 years. I personally don’t think that you can find a much worse investment. There is a tax credit available for this system in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. No. 2: A typical wind generator for a 2,000-square-foot house costs between $10,000 and $20,000, depending on the size of the unit. It would typically produce 4 to 6 kilowatts of electricity if the wind was sufficiently blowing. In many parts of the United States, including Arkansas, residential wind generation is not a viable option. In fact, one of the most efficient wind farms in the U.S. only generated 30 percent of the time last year, with almost no generation during the hottest summer months. It is at best difficult to estimate the payback of a residential wind turbine because of such unknown factors as maintenance costs and the availability of wind flow. There is, however, a federal tax credit available in the new law. No. 3: A typical geothermal heat pump for a 2,000-square-foot house should cost about $11,000 more than a conventional heating and cooling system. It does provide all of the heating and cooling required and it is available every single hour of every single day. The average payback for such a system will be seven to 10 years. The life expectancy of the geothermal unit is estimated to be 25 years, the loop in the ground is guaranteed for 50 years and no one actually knows how long it will last after that. And, yes, there is a federal tax credit available, at last! Now, open your mind, think about it and you will probably be just as excited about this as I am. Geothermal has finally come of age! To learn more about the tax credits, visit www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm. Doug Rye can be heard on KGOZ and KAAN locally. Every Saturday morning, Doug Rye hosts a live call-in show on several area radio stations. He can be heard from 9-10 a.m. on KGOZ, 101.7, Gallatin, and on KAAN, 95.5, Bethany. |
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You’re working in a drafty room and instinctively reach for the electric space heater switch to warm up your toes. Does it make economic sense to warm up with the quick fix of a space heater?
Don’t become a space heater statistic: safety comes first
Radiator-type heater for a room in constant use you want to maintain slightly warmer than the rest of the house. This type of heater doesn’t provide a quick warm-up, but it’s safer because the surface doesn’t get as hot as other types of
heaters.
oes the heater have a thermostat?
Why do CFL bulbs cost more than incandescent
bulbs?
Doug
Rye says . . .