There is a little chill in the air and beyond wearing an extra fluffy sweater or an extra pair of sox, some people can’t shake the chill.  Other than heating your entire home, when one person can’t get warm what options do you have?

There is a long-discussed debate whether the use of a space heater in the room most occupied makes more financial sense and how will its use impact your electric bill.

The fact is that in most places around the country, electricity is much more expensive than natural gas, therefore, electric space heaters are not going to beat the overall cost of use versus the use of your gas furnace in overall efficiency.

There are a few exceptions, for instance, if someone works from home from a home office, generally a smaller area of the home and only utilizes this room during most of the day, using a space heater might be a smart consideration.  Under these circumstances, using a space heater to heat one room could actually be more cost-efficient.

If you are trying to figure out how much you’ll spend using one 1,500-watt space heater (the average watt for a space heater), us this formula: (Formula provided by Lasko.com)

1. Multiply 1,500- watts by “X” hours of use = “A.”
2. Multiply “A” by your electricity rate per kilowatt-hour = “B.”
3. Divide “B” by 1,000.

If your calculations don’t raise your electricity by that much and this sounds like a good option for you, then be sure to choose the right size space heater for the room you intend to use it; most models will specify, and of course the higher the wattage, the higher your electric costs will be.  Also, be sure to look for power-saving features like a thermostat and timer.

The Certo Team
55 N. Arizona Place Suite #103
Chandler, AZ 85225
602-429-6789