What is the most cost-effective way to heat a house?

Question

We have a 3000 sq ft house but only really use 2 bedrooms after dinner. Which is the more cost-effective way to heat overnight -- furnace heating the house, or 2 small Vornado digital heaters, one in each of the 2 bedrooms?

Answer 1

Depends on the heat source of the furnace... A whole house heated with gas to a very low setting can be the same cost as two bedrooms heated with electricity (and then having to re-heat the whole house the next day)

Personally, I'd be even more localized... say use electic blankets. But if that is not a good idea for you, then the small heaters could be an answer if the bedrooms don't have a lot of windows or unusual heat loss.



Your can calculate the cost of both options if you have all the data. You can also set up a timer/counter on either heater that tells you there ON time and you can then calculate the EXACT cost of one night's heating for each and then compare. Unfortunately you'd have to have some sort of electrical working knowledge to set that up.



Maybe you could use your meter, gas and electric, and a routine of monitoring to get an idea of your use of energy with each method and just do the math from that.



Keep in mind that it is often cheaper to keep a house reasonably heated (no lower then 60F) than it is to keep it unheated and then heat if up only when used. In other words, it can be cheaper to keep a house heated moderately than it is to heat a cold house everyday. Once again, you'd have to monitor your utility meter to be sure of anything you do.