10 Good Reasons to Own an Electric Space Heater

1. Energy Efficiency

The efficiency of any heating appliance is measured by the amount of heat it generates as a percentage of the fuel it consumes. Since electricity is 100% efficient, the output of an electric space heater is virtually the same as the input.

2. Inexpensive to Operate

Most electric heaters have a heating capacity of 1,500 watts, or 1.5 kilowatts. Using the average price of electricity in the US of 10.7 cents per kilowatt hour as an example, it would cost 16 cents per hour to operate. Operating at the low setting, usually around 1,000 watts, would cost 11 cents per hour on average.

3. Portability

Have you ever tried to drag a pellet or wood stove from room to room? I wouldn't suggest it. But a typical space heater weighing in at less than 10 pounds is easier to move from room to room than a load of laundry. Even the heavier, mini fireplace type heaters, have casters for easy mobility.

4. Safe to Operate

Every UL listed heater is as safe as any other home appliance. Problems arise when the basic rules of safety are not observed. Two of the more important rules, and also the most frequently ignored, are: Locate the heater 3 feet away from drapes, furniture and other combustible materials. Failure to observe this rule accounts for the majority of space heater fires.

Second, don't overload your home's wiring. This includes not plugging additional appliances into the same outlet as the space heater and avoiding the use of extension cords. No matter what the condition of your home's wiring, safety experts recommend the use of a power strip/surge protector in between the heater and the outlet.

5. Ease of Use

Just plug it in and turn it on. Although it never hurts to read the owner's manual and safety instructions, you don't need a degree in electrical engineering to run one.

6. Inexpensive to Purchase

For around $25 you can purchase a small compact heater and still receive all of the benefits of larger, more expensive heaters. For many people, especially in today's economy, $25 can mean the difference between having heat or not.

7. Easy to Store

If you have one square foot of free closet space, you have enough room to store most space heaters.

8. Adaptability

From the 10" high compact heater to the decorative electric fireplace there's a range of space heaters for every application. Want to heat just your workbench? Get an infrared dish heater. Want to heat a 500 sq. ft. room? Get a convection heater with fan. The best space heater will always be the one that matches your intended purpose.

9. Zoned Heating

Why heat your entire home if you conduct your daytime activities in only one or two rooms? Electric space heaters provide an inexpensive zone heating solution by allowing you to reduce the overall temperature of your home and heat only the room you're using.

10. Value

It's difficult, if not impossible to find another heating appliance that delivers the same amount of comfort for such a small investment.

11. Bonus Reason: Brad and Angelina are adopting one.