Heaters...

[GhettoDogAllStars]

This is from the site that saden posted:
"After much research I have found that one watt of electricity makes 3.41 BTUs of heat, no matter how it's done... with resistance wires, with quartz, with oil filled radiators, with electric blankets, toasters, ranges, heat lamps... you name it..."

I don't know if it's true, but it makes sense. Work is work, no matter how you look at it. Climbing stairs or walking up a ramp of equal height requires the same amount of work to be performed -- it's the same idea.

I guess the only thing you have to worry about (other than safety) is an ineffecient heater -- one that doesn't produce 3.41 BTUs from a single watt.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

This is from the site that saden posted:
"After much research I have found that one watt of electricity makes 3.41 BTUs of heat, no matter how it's done... with resistance wires, with quartz, with oil filled radiators, with electric blankets, toasters, ranges, heat lamps... you name it..."

I don't know if it's true, but it makes sense. Work is work, no matter how you look at it. Climbing stairs or walking up a ramp of equal height requires the same amount of work to be performed -- it's the same idea.

I guess the only thing you have to worry about (other than safety) is an ineffecient heater -- one that doesn't produce 3.41 BTUs from a single watt.

Only trouble is, 1 watt of electricity is more expensive than the amount of natural gas or oil it takes to generate 3.41 BTUs.

If you're going to use electricity to generate heat, it's going to cost a fair amount more in the long run than it would if you installed something that ran on your heating system. Of course you have to weigh that against the cost of renovating and directing your heat system into that room.

[Redskins8588]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Of course you have to weigh that against the cost of renovating and directing your heat system into that room.

Yeah, and right now my electric bill is about $35 -$40/mth. And I do not currently have the funds to renovate and run a heat run to that room just yet.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Redskins8588

Yeah, and right now my electric bill is about $35 -$40/mth. And I do not currently have the funds to renovate and run a heat run to that room just yet.

How do you have such a low electric bill?

[Redskins8588]

Originally Posted by firstdown

How do you have such a low electric bill?

I am not sure to be honest with you. My oven/stove, fridge, and washing machine are really the only appliances that run off of electric other than the usual like the tv, computer, and whatever else. Everyother month the bill is estimated. Also my oldest child is only 5 so I am sure that as my kids get older my bill will go up with them not turning things off and whatnot.

My house is forced air furnace heated, dryer, and hot water tank all run off Natural gas and I am on there budget plan where I pay about $150/month. Even in the summer when I only use Natural gas to heat my water and run my dryer when my clothes are not hanging outside.

Recently the natural gas company in my area uped the bill by 75%. And everyone was upset for such an increase. Then when the weather wasnt that bad the gave everyone a break on their bill by cutting it by 5%. So at the end of the day they only uped the bill by 70%. So anyhow you ask anyone up here about National fuel and you will be hard pressed to get anyone to say anything good about them...

[724Skinsfan]

That may be one reason why your electric bill is so high unless the one you have is designed for temperatures lower than like 35 degrees. We cut over to our gas heat when the temperature drops below 45 degrees. Do you not have a secondary heat backup (gas furnace?).

[724Skinsfan]

I don't know, TMC, I just checked our electric bill (1800 out of 2100 sq ft is heated) for the month of January and it was $56.00, whereas our gas bill was $96.00. We keep the heat somewhere between 72 and 74. We have AEP and Roanoke Gas service. The heat pump has been off since early November.