| Small heaters have grown in popularity in recent | | | | Energy, radiant heaters are more efficient if you |
| years as people seek to trim their increasingly | | | | are going to need them for a shorter, defined |
| high home heating budgets. Portable electric space | | | | period of time and can stay near them. They |
| heaters can be used to heat just one small area | | | | heat only the area immediately around it and not |
| or room as its need instead of heating the whole | | | | the whole room. Most now use ceramic elements |
| house, or to enhance the warmth of one room | | | | and are cool to the touch. |
| vs. raising the temperature on the thermostat for | | | | Convection units provide a constant, steady flow |
| the whole house and reduce the overall | | | | of heat with less electricity and are the most |
| consumption of energy. They are safer than | | | | efficient style of portable electric space heaters |
| kerosene or other heaters that rely on | | | | for a larger area and for longer periods of time. |
| combustible fuel as they do not emit dangerous | | | | When purchasing a space heater, consider the |
| carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that can cause | | | | size of the space you want to heat and buy only |
| serious illness or death. | | | | what you need. Bigger isn't necessarily better, just |
| There are two types of portable electric space | | | | more expensive and more energy consuming. Be |
| heaters: radiant and convection. Radiant space | | | | sure to get one with an adjustable thermostat |
| heaters use infrared energy to convert electricity | | | | that you can raise and lower as you prefer, as |
| to heat which is then "radiated" with a fan or | | | | well as automatic temperature control to keep |
| blower. Convection heaters use oil (or other | | | | the space at a consistent temperature without |
| heating liquid) to produce heat which is also spread | | | | having to manually adjust it every 10-15 minutes. |
| with a fan. According to the US Department of | | | | |