| 1. Energy Efficiency | | | | 5. Ease of Use |
| The efficiency of any heating appliance is | | | | Just plug it in and turn it on. Although it never |
| measured by the amount of heat it generates as | | | | hurts to read the owner's manual and safety |
| a percentage of the fuel it consumes. Since | | | | instructions, you don't need a degree in electrical |
| electricity is 100% efficient, the output of an | | | | engineering to run one. |
| electric space heater is virtually the same as the | | | | 6. Inexpensive to Purchase |
| input. | | | | For around $25 you can purchase a small |
| 2. Inexpensive to Operate | | | | compact heater and still receive all of the benefits |
| Most electric heaters have a heating capacity of | | | | of larger, more expensive heaters. For many |
| 1,500 watts, or 1.5 kilowatts. Using the average | | | | folks, especially in today's economy, a small space |
| price of electricity in the US of 10.7 cents per | | | | heater can mean the difference between having |
| kilowatt hour as an example, it would cost 16 | | | | heat or not. |
| cents per hour to operate. Operating at the low | | | | 7. Easy to Store |
| setting, usually around 1,000 watts, would cost 11 | | | | If you have one square foot of free closet |
| cents per hour on average. | | | | space, you have enough room to store most |
| 3. Portability | | | | space heaters. |
| Have you ever tried to drag a pellet or wood | | | | 8. Adaptability |
| stove from room to room? I wouldn't suggest it. | | | | From the 10" high compact heater to the |
| But a typical space heater weighing in at less than | | | | decorative electric fireplace there's a range of |
| 10 pounds is easier to move from room to room | | | | space heaters for every application. Want to heat |
| than a load of laundry. Even the heavier, mini | | | | just your workbench? Get an infrared dish heater. |
| fireplace type heaters, have casters for easy | | | | Want to heat a 500 sq. ft. room? Get a |
| mobility. | | | | convection heater equipped with a fan. The best |
| 4. Safe to Operate | | | | space heater will always be the one that matches |
| Every UL listed heater is as safe as any other | | | | its intended purpose. |
| home appliance. Problems arise when the basic | | | | 9. Zoned Heating |
| rules of safety are not observed. Two of the | | | | Why heat your entire home if you conduct your |
| more important rules, and also the most | | | | daytime activities in only one or two rooms? |
| frequently ignored, are: Locate the heater 3 feet | | | | Electric space heaters provide an inexpensive |
| away from drapes, furniture and other | | | | zone heating solution by allowing you to reduce |
| combustible materials. Failure to observe this rule | | | | the overall temperature of your home and heat |
| accounts for the majority of space heater fires. | | | | only the room you're using. |
| Second, don't overload your home's wiring. This | | | | 10. Value |
| includes not plugging additional appliances into the | | | | It's difficult, if not impossible to find another |
| same outlet as the space heater and avoiding the | | | | heating appliance that delivers the same amount |
| use of extension cords. No matter what the | | | | of comfort for such a small investment. |
| condition of your home's wiring, safety experts | | | | 11. Bonus Reason: Brad and Angelina are adopting |
| recommend the use of a power strip/surge | | | | one. |
| protector in between the heater and the outlet. | | | | |