Space heaters may help us stay warm during the cold winter months, but do you know how much it is costing you? Just one space heater can add almost $100 per month on your electric bill. Learn more by listening to Aaron Epstein, Member Services Representative from Intercounty Electric Cooperative, discuss how to stay warm while saving money and staying safe.Season 2 Episode 1
Space heaters may help us stay warm during the cold winter months, but do you know how much it is costing you? Just one space heater can add almost $100 per month on your electric bill. Learn more by listening to Aaron Epstein, Member Services Representative from Intercounty Electric Cooperative, discuss how to stay warm while saving money and staying safe.Season 2 Episode 1
Hi, my name is Christina and I am with Cookson Hills Electric Co-op. One of my favorite things about this service is that whenever there's a power outage, they always do their best to get your services restored as quickly as possible. Um, with the recent storms that we had, they was very quick to get our electric power restored and I'm very happy with the service .
Mark Viguet:Welcome to the Power for Your Life podcast, where we focus on energy efficiency, the value of electric cooperative membership, and safety with electricity. I'm Mark Viga , the host, and today we will be discussing space heaters safety and efficiency. With the cold weather this month, many of you may be turning to space heaters to stay warm, but they can be dangerous if not used properly. According to the National Fire Protection Association Space Heaters account for 43% of all US home heating fires and 85% of associated deaths. But knowing just a few safety tips when using space heaters can keep you and your family safe with me by phone. Today to talk about this very important topic is Aaron Epstein, member Services Representative from Intercounty Electric Cooperative. Aaron , thank you for joining me today.
Aaron Epstein:Hey Mark , it's great to be here and thanks for having me.
Mark Viguet:Let's jump right in and talk about safety. The first thing members are likely going to do is pull that space heater outta storage. Now, how does somebody know if it is still safe to use or if they should retire that old space heater
Aaron Epstein:Mark? One of the first things I would inspect would be the cord. Depending on where you had stored the space heater for the last six months, it is possible that there could have been mice or other rodents that may have chewed on the cord and exposed some bare wires. If this is the case, I would probably just throw it away. Another option would be to replace the cord, but make sure you get an electrician that really knows what they're doing. You have to consider what this would cost versus just buying a new one. Oftentimes people will store space heaters without putting them in the original box and they can become very dusty. I would use an air compressor to blow off any dust that may have accumulated on the coils. This will also eliminate that bad smell that is present when you plug a space heater in after it's been sitting for several months. More than anything, give the cord a good look over because you certainly don't want any freight or bear wires exposed. This also goes for electric blankets. You need to periodically inspect cords in case a pet may have chewed on or even a cord that could get pinched from having a furniture or other objects sitting on the cord. Also, make sure when you purchase a space heater, it has a UL approved label on it. This will usually be a sticker wrapped around the cord on the space heater.
Mark Viguet:Well, that's great advice, Aaron . And um , you know, we don't think much about those stickers on the cords or about how worn they can become, so that's great advice. And when a member decides it is time to get rid of an old space heater, what are some ideal qualities somebody should look for in a replacement
Aaron Epstein:Mark? I've gathered , uh, some notes here and I have five common types of space heaters and with those, I have pros and cons of each. So the first one is a ceramic space heater. These work by allowing electricity to pass through coils, heating up ceramic plates. The heating process is instant and it takes very little time to fill the warming effects of this type of heater. Some have a fan built in them and others don't. Some of the pros are instant heat. Ceramic plates take a while to cool down, so there is residual heat radiating after heater has been turned off. Some cons are most ceramic space heaters have to constantly run and use electrical energy to deliver heat, no thermostats, so it's hot heat and constant. The second space heater is a fan space heater, very similar to a ceramic heater. In fact, it operates in almost every single way except for the heating element. Instead of using ceramic plates, these types of space heaters run electricity through a metal coil and that is what transfers heat into the air. Some of the pros of this type of heater is as cheap to buy. You have instant heat. Heat can be oscillated and obviously there's a fan built in these. Some of the cons are heat stops being transferred as soon as the heater is turned off. These must constantly run to deliver heat. The third type of space heater is an infrared space heater. The way infrared space heaters warm up a space is by emitting electromagnetic waves into the air that heat up the physical objects that are present. The process is similar to how the sun uses radiation to the earth. So instead of warming up the air, infrared heaters, heat up objects such as furniture, carpeting, our bodies, et cetera . Some of the pros with this type of heater is it can heat up large areas. Heat is long lasting and continues even when the infrared heater is turned off. And some include a digital thermostat with remote control. Some cons are the heater itself can be heavy, more expensive, but mostly it requires physical objects in the room to absorb the heat transfer. So fewer objects equals less heat. The fourth one is an oil-filled space heater. Inside the body of this type of heater is diathermic oil. This oil gets heated up and circulates through the columns or fins on the heater. As those spins get hot, the surface temperature rises and heat is released into the air. Some pros are heat is long lasting and continues even when the heater is turned off. It doesn't have to continue to run to provide heat when cons are no oil filled , space heaters have a fan and the housing can get very hot. So it's probably not a good idea to use one of these in an area where a child or infant can come in contact with it. So now the question is what space heater is best for me? And the answer is quite simple. If you're heating up a small area such as a bathroom before you step into the shower, or like a few of my coworkers need their feet warm and a ceramic or face or fan space heater is the best choice. If you're wanting to heat up a large space, say for instance a man cave or a sewing room, then the infrared heater or oil filled space heater is the best choice. My personal choice would be an oil filled space heater, but like I mentioned earlier, they can be very hot to the touch. I like these because they're thermostatically controlled and the oil will retain heat, so theat won't be kicking on and off as much.
Mark Viguet:Well , that's a great overview. I had no idea there were so many types of space heaters. Um, so if we think about what you've told us already, Aaron , you've talked about inspecting and blowing off the cord and the space heater itself when you take it outta storage , um, looking for for things that that may be amiss with it and you've gone over these different types of space heaters for when they need to be replaced. Um, what's something when the member brings home one of these shiny new space heaters, how do they use it safely? What tips do you have for our listeners on that ?
Aaron Epstein:Okay, so safety should always be a top consideration when using space heaters. And here are some tips for keeping your home safe and warm When it's cold outside, make sure your space heater has a label showing that is listed by a recognized testing laboratory. Uh, we mentioned this earlier, it needs to be UL approved and there should be a tag on that cord. Before using any space heater , read the manufacturer's instructions and warning labels Carefully inspect heaters for cracked or broken plugs or loose connections before each use. If frayed warn damage, do not use the heater. Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when you're leaving a room or going to sleep. And don't let pets or children play too close to a space heater. Space heaters are only meant to provide supplemental heat and should never be used to warm bedding, cook food, dry clothing, or quad pipes. It's important to install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas and test them once a month. Proper replacement of space heaters is critical. Heaters must be kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn , including papers, clothing and rugs. Locate space heaters out of high traffic areas and doorways where they may pose a tripping hazard. Plug space heaters directly in into a wall outlet. Do not use an extension cord or power strip , which can overheat and result in a fire. Do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater. Place. Space heaters on level flat surfaces never place heaters on cabinets, cables, furniture or carpet which can overheat and start a fire. Always unplugged and safely store the heater when it's not used.
Mark Viguet:Well, we've learned a lot about space heaters in a sharp period of time. We love the convenience, we love the warmth they bring and they bring that quickly, but we do have to take responsibility for using those safely. We're gonna talk more about that and other topics when we return in just a minute.
Speaker 4:Are you prepared to stay safe and warm? If a winter storm knocks out power, ice, wind and heavy snow can slow down restoration. So have extra blankets and supplies on hand to help weather a prolonged outage safely. And before venturing outside, be aware that ice and snow can hide dangers like downed power lines that are energized. Learn more about Winter storm safety@safeelectricity.org.
Speaker 5:Discover the value of your co-op membership visit members first dot co-op today,
Speaker 6:Your laptop, tv, mobile phone, or devices you might say Your touchstone Energy cooperative is in the business of keeping you connected to everyone and everything that's essential day or night. We're always here making life easier because when all is said and done of all the connections we make, none are more powerful than the human connection.
Speaker 5:Discover the value of your co-op membership visit members first dot co-op today energy saving tip number 92. Use heavy duty clear sheets of plastic sealed tightly on the inside of windows to reduce the amount of cold air entering your home.
Mark Viguet:Welcome back to The Power For Your Life podcast. We're visiting today with Aaron Epstein from Inner County Electric Cooperative and we've talked about space heater, safety tips, and we really want to go into a different area now and that's efficiency that's important to all of us. How much electricity, how much energy do these space heaters use? Some advertisements claim there are magic space heaters, if you will, that save members money by cutting costs and heating. And I'm curious, are you aware of these claims and do you think those are true ? Or maybe related to that, what type of heater is best?
Aaron Epstein:You know, mark, there are so many infomercials and advertisements that claim their space heater is saving tons of money on the utility bills. But the bottom line is that it's all about the wattage of these space heaters. I think later in this podcast we will go more in depth on what this means, but honestly I don't like to say that space space heaters have any energy efficiency to them because with the exception of infrared heaters, they're all resistance type heaters, but it's still all about the wattage of the space heater and most space heaters are 1500 watts . Space heaters are absolutely not a good way to cut heating costs like the manufacturer's claim. If anything, they will cost you more money in the long run space heaters should be used for supplemental heat only and to be used for short periods of time .
Mark Viguet:Yeah, I think that's really important and that's something that you know early in my life I misunderstood , um, was the fact that these are really just for temporary and supplemental use. They're not meant to continually warm an entire area of a home, and if you do that, it's gonna cost you some money. So very important for our members to remember that. So how much does it really cost to run a space heater in your home?
Aaron Epstein:Well mark , this may sound weird and a little nerdy, but one of the best parts of my job is educating a member on a cost using a space heater. Quite often I discover that one or more space heaters are being used in a member's house or even in a wellhouse. So for today's example, I'll be talking about the space heater that is being used in a wellhouse running nonstop. 24 hours in a day like almost all space heaters used. This one will be 1500 watts. So there's a very simple formula that can be used to determine how much anything electrical is costing a member , whether it be per month, per day, per hour, even per minute. And that formula is watts times the number of cars that electrical device is being used times the number of days in your billing cycle divided by 1000 because that is what a kilowatt hour is. Take that number and times it by your co-OP's kilowatt hour charge. So this little space heater in the wellhouse is 1500 watts. We take 1500, multiply that by 24 because this has been running all day and all night. Then multiply that by the number of days in your billing cycle. That's gonna be either 30 or 31 depending on what month it is. I will be using 30 for this example. So take that total and divide it by 1000 because 1000 is a kilowatt. Now multiply your total by whatever your co-op charges per kilowatt hour. At inner county our rate is 0.087 a kilowatt hour for roughly 8 cents. So if you have done the math correctly, the total for just this one space here being used in this wellhouse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in one month's time in this billing cycle, this space heater will cost you $93 and 96 cents. So this gives a pretty good idea on how much these little guys will cost. My advice to the member who might be doing this is to spend a little money on your wellhouse and make sure it is insulated with no way any air can get into the wellhouse and only use a 150 watt heat bulb heat . The pipes are freezing that 150 watt heat bulb running 24 7 just like that little space heater was will only cost you $9 and 39 cents a month instead of 93 96. That is a huge difference and the ultimate goal is the same. Keeping your whale pipes from freezing mark. I have been to members' homes where they were using more than one space heater in addition to their main source of heat. The bottom line here is use a space heater sparingly and whatever you do, don't use them as a main source of heat. They're not meant to run 24 7.
Mark Viguet:Wow. Uh, that example is really eye-opening. That's a lot more than I would've thought it costs to run one of those. And it kind of leads me to a question and that would be, is there anything else you can think of recommending other than just using space heaters? Are there things members can do to maybe help accomplish some of the same goals of comfort, convenience, et cetera ?
Aaron Epstein:Actually, there are several inexpensive ways to make your home more energy efficient and one of the simplest ways is to purchase HU and apply that to all interior and exterior doors and windows. The goal here is to prevent and eliminate any air infiltration. Replacing the whipp stripping on exterior doors is also an inexpensive way to keep outside air from entering and inside air from escaping. If you can see daylight under or around your exterior doors, it's probably time for little maintenance. The biggest bang for your buck is going to be blown in attic insulation. I have been on many energy audits where the member has an older home with the paper backed back insulation in their attic. This is typically only six inches and not nearly enough for adequate attic insulation . The US Department of Energy has recommended R values for different parts of the US and this is of course dependent on the various climates in the us . For most of Missouri, we are in a zone with a recommended R value of 38. But what that means is your addict should have a minimum of 11 inches of insulation. By adding blown in insulation on top of your bad insulation, you can easily increase your ATS R value . This is an excellent and easy way to make your home more energy efficient. I have talked with members who saw their utility bills decreased immediately after having done this, but in this case it was a member who had only six inches of attic insulation and they happened to increase their total depth to 18 inches. A question I get asked a lot is what temperature? So I set my thermostat at and honestly that depends on who you live with. It is recommended that your thermostat be set at 68 degrees during the winter and 72 degrees during summer. But in my house, my wife simply wouldn't go for that. It was up to her. She would keep it on 72 year round . Thermostats have come a long way since the days of the non-digital thermostats. We now have digital thermostats that can be set to different temperatures throughout the day. Let's say while you're sleeping, you're okay with turning it down to 68 degrees, but during we times, you're comfortable with the thermostat at 71 degrees or you can program it to bump up a few degrees right before you wake up in the morning. There are also smart thermostats that can be controlled from your smartphone. As a side note, associated as a rebate for smart thermostats, one of the most efficient and reliable ways to heat and cool a home is with a heat pump system. Heat pumps have been around for a long time, especially overseas, but have only become more popular in the US seems like within the last 20 years. I won't go into great detail with the science behind heat pumps, but simply put, they rely on outside temperatures as a source to heat and cool your home. There are a couple of different kinds of heat pumps and the first one is called an air to air heat pump. These are the least expensive old house heat pumps. These are very efficient down to a certain low temperature, usually from around 20 degrees. But it seems like every year the manufacturers of these are coming up with some units that are extremely efficient. In fact, I believe they even have some now that operate effectively down to zero degrees. The only downfall to this type of heat pump is once the outside temperature reaches at certain low temperature, your heat pump will need some source of an auxiliary or backup to heat your home. In most cases, the homeowner will choose electric heat strips in their furnace or go with a dual fuel setup , meaning propane or natural gas as their auxiliary source. The other kind of heat pump is called a ground source heat pump. Instead of using outside air as it's sourced for heating and cooling, it uses a constant ground temperature, usually around 50 degrees. With this type of system, it is not necessary to have an auxiliary source of heat due to the 50 degrees ground temperature. Ground source heat pumps are more costly upfront , but are excellent investments, especially if you plan on building a new home. In the past there have been government tax incentives that help with this cost and your local co-op in conjunction with associated offer rebates on both types of heat pumps. There are a lot of little things members can do to be proactive in home energy efficiency and I encourage them to talk with the member services people at their local co-op or simply research energy efficiency tips on the internet. There really are a lot of great resources out there. Mark .
Mark Viguet:Well, Aaron , those are , uh, really some eye-opening , uh, stats about heat pumps and how they can maybe help you save money in the long run. So , um, what we've learned about today really are quick, convenient space heating , uh, and different types of space heaters and the fact that we've really gotta be careful with those, make sure they're in good working order , uh, make sure that those are used appropriately and safely and we've learned about some alternatives to that, some energy efficiency steps we can take and pull different technologies that might be used to help us save lots of money over the long term . And Aaron Epstein with Inner County Electric Cooperative , thank you for joining me today.
Aaron Epstein:Well, mark , it's been a pleasure and I encourage people to , um, tap their resources and call their member services representatives from their local pull ups and , um, they'd be happy to give some energy efficiency to
Mark Viguet:Absolutely. The member services representative at your local cooperative is a great source of information like that you've heard today and about lots of other information , uh, that you may be wondering about. So be sure and use those folks in your local cooperative when you need them . Until next time, stay warm and stay safe.
Speaker 5:Thanks for listening to the Power for Your Life Podcast. To learn more about this topic and other safety efficiency and energy technology information, contact your local electric cooperative or visit us on the web at members first dot co-op. You can also follow us on social media at facebook.com/members first cooperatives pinterest.com/members first or instagram.com/members. First , if you have a question or topic you would like us to consider for an upcoming episode, email us at members first , a eci.org .