from Dawn in Rice Lake, WI:
#930
I have old electric baseboard heaters. What can I do to keep the heat bill down? I know this is the most expensive way to heat, so would purchasing some type of portable heaters take less energy to run?
Insulating and air sealing is the most cost effective.
New electric heaters operate at the same efficiency and cost as an old electric heater. The only savings with a portable heater would be if you could restrict the area they are heating and then turn down the temperature in the remainder of the house. Likely you can do that with the heaters you already have by turning down the thermostat in the unoccupied rooms. No new equipment to buy and you will not have to worry about the safety issues that can come up with portable units.
The most cost effective way to reduce your heating bill is through insulating and air sealing. Do this first! Focus on Energy offers tips on the basics of insulating and air sealing your home as well as a program called Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® where you work with a consultant to identify areas of improvement and provide recommendations for getting them fixed. By completing a home evaluation you not only receive a more comfortable and energy efficient home, but you can receive Cash-Back Rewards for completing all or part of the work! (Please visit focusonenergy.com/incentives for the latest incentives and requirements, as Focus offers are subject to change.)
After you have tightened up the home there are a few pieces of equipment you should look into:
- Convert to either a gas furnace or boiler. Your electric rates and whether you have access to natural gas or propane will determine the savings, but a gas furnace or boiler are almost always less expensive to operate than electric resistance heat.
- Talk to your utility about off-peak rates to see if electric thermal storage (ETS) is an option for you. ETS uses a medium (usually ceramic blocks) to store heat generated by an electric heaters when the cost of electricity is low. Then when the cost is high the ETS uses the stored heat to heat the home. It doesn't save energy but can save money.
- Install a heat pump. A heat pump pulls heat from the outdoor air (or the ground in the case of a geothermal system) and brings that heat into the home. It uses electricity but at an efficiency much higher (2 to 4 times higher) than electric resistance heat. The heat is distributed to the home in a number of ways including a traditional forced air system, a ductless or mini-split system or hydronic (hot water) system. The heat pump may not be able to provide all the heat needed or heat at low outdoor temperatures but it can definitely save money and energy. As side benefit of a heat pump is that they also provide cooling during the summer.
Published Thursday, December 09, 2010