| Electric heating can be defined as an electrical | | | | from the outdoor air or from the ground or |
| appliance that converts electrical energy into heat. | | | | ground water. The heat is then transferred to the |
| The one thing that drives me crazy is that I see | | | | space being heated. Heat pumps can be many |
| some electric heaters advertised as 20% more | | | | times more efficient than electric resistance |
| efficient than another electric heater. The bottom | | | | heating. |
| line in all of this is that the amount of BTU's that | | | | Another way to save a bit is a storage heating |
| can be produced from a kilowatt of electric is | | | | system that takes advantage of cheaper |
| defined by the laws of physics. | | | | electricity prices. You use electric during low |
| Take any kilowatt of electric and convert it to | | | | demand periods such as overnight to build up heat |
| heat and you get 3415 Btu per Kw. This fact | | | | in a storage stone or water. This heat is then |
| cannot be altered or changed. So for anyone to | | | | extracted from the stone or water during the |
| make claims of their electric heater being more | | | | day when the electric costs more. |
| efficient than the next guy's is totally false. | | | | When considering electric heating always |
| There are different ways to deliver the heat and | | | | remember that a fossil-fuelled power plant may |
| the may make some difference in the way you | | | | only deliver 4 units of electrical energy for every |
| feel from the heat being delivered. Electric heaters | | | | 10 units of fuel energy released. Even when you |
| that use infra-red technology may make you feel | | | | use a 100% efficient electric heater, the amount |
| warmer without actually heating the air | | | | of fuel needed to make the amount of heat |
| surrounding you. Heaters that use oil to hold or | | | | needed, is more than if the fuel was burned in a |
| ceramic to hold the heat may radiate heat even | | | | furnace or boiler at the building being heated. The |
| when the element is not on making you feel | | | | amount of electric that is lost by substation |
| warm even though the element is not producing | | | | transformers and transmission lines is almost 2/3 |
| more heat. So there are different popular | | | | thirds of what was initially produced at the power |
| methods to heat, but the bottom line is that the | | | | plant. |
| amount of BTU's produced by each on an equal | | | | Electric heating can be good in some cases, but in |
| basis will be 3415 BTU's per KW. | | | | many situations it is not a responsible use of our |
| The exception to this is the modern heat pump. | | | | resources. Also, do not believe the claims that |
| A heat pump is an appliance that uses an | | | | one electric resistance heater is more efficient |
| electrically-driven compressor to power a | | | | than any other. One kilowatt of electricity will |
| refrigeration cycle that extracts heat energy | | | | always convert to 3415 BTU's of heat. |