If you use the heater in an area too close to the thermostat, it will negatively affect the temperature in the entire space. Because of that, the HVAC unit may not turn on when it should, consequently causing the system to malfunction.
Keep these two things in mind: one, portable heaters are not the safest option so we recommend using them with extreme caution. Two, make sure you're not placing them near the thermostat because once again, the thermostat won't produce an accurate temperature reading, especially for the other rooms of the house.
A space heater is only a good idea when you want to heat one or two rooms. They're not efficient enough for the whole house. If you find the recommended 68-degree winter thermostat setting is too chilly for you, turn up your thermostat a degree or two.
Better yet, install your thermostat at least 1 stud away from the heater. Moving a thermostat out of the same wall cavity as a heater will help performance.
Using a space heater to target rooms you're using instead of heating the entire house is a surefire way to trim money off of your monthly energy spend. Space heaters cost about 20 cents per hour to operate, give or take, which is a whole lot cheaper than central heat for a home of almost any size.
An electric space heater is small but uses a lot of energy! A 1,500-watt heater running for eight hours each night for a month can add about $43 to your electric bill. Running multiple space heaters can run up your energy costs. Specific, sparing use.
If you use a space heater in your home, please be aware that using a space heater can cause a significant increase in your monthly bill. A 1,000-watt space heater operating 12 hours a day will add about $40 to your monthly bill. If the cost does not deter you, remember how important it is to use space heaters safely.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends setting your thermostat no lower than 64 degrees (F) in the Winter months while people are in the home. If there are infants or elderly individuals, they recommend keeping the temperature at 70 degrees at a minimum.
If you're going to be leaving your home or traveling for the winter, it's best to keep your thermostat set no lower than 55 degrees. If you don't, you could risk having your pipes freeze over.
We would not advise putting the thermostat in the coldest room as this would not be a true reflection of the temperature of the rest of the house. You want an average reading for it to work efficiently so placing it in the coldest part of the house would be an extreme cold air temperature zone to avoid.
The best way to prevent a fire is to never leave a space heater running in a room unattended—that way, if anything does go wrong, you can take action quickly. If you have kids or pets that could knock a heater over or drape fabric on it, keep a very close eye on its operation.
Space heaters do use less energy as compared to using central heat. However, they are not as efficient as space heaters. As such, having a space heater in every room in the home and turning them all on at the same will only cost you more, not less. When you purchased your heater is also a factor.
Electric heaters work best when they heat up a confined space, such as the area around a desk or a reading chair. Take a look around your room and decide where your heater will be most useful. It may also help to choose an area that can be closed off by doors, so you can better trap in the heat.
Keep it at least 3 feet from anything flammable
The leading cause of space heaters igniting fires is placing them too close to flammable objects, Moore-Merrell said. It is a heat source so placing a unit near something that will burn – like a couch, curtains, papers – risks fire, she added.
You want to know whether using a space heater will save you money. The answer is yes and no. From a pure energy to dollar ratio, electricity costs more than gas. If you make a habit of checking the unit price on groceries, your furnace will outperform a space heater in “price per unit” any day of the week.
You'll need to get a thermostat that is compatible with your system's voltage requirements. Most thermostats work with low voltage systems. And the good news is, unless you have wall/floor heaters or an electric baseboard heating system, you most likely have a low voltage system because they are the most common.
What Temperature Is Too Cold For A House? The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends indoor temperatures of at least 64°F (you can drop that down to 62°F at night if you're really looking to save on your heating bill).
The World Health Organization recommends keeping indoor temperatures between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for healthy people. The minimum temperature should be kept above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to protect the very young, the elderly, or people with health problems.
68 to 72 degrees is a temperature range that is not too warm or cool, and is sufficient enough to warm up the home just enough so that everyone is comfortable regardless of the type of clothing they have on.
Your house could be cold due to an old air filter, a faulty furnace, improper insulation, or leaky ductwork. The simple fixes, like replacing an air filter, are relatively easy to complete. However, if the heater itself needs repairs, it's best to call in a professional to take a look and determine the problem.
Remember that people feel comfortable in temperatures that are set between 63 to 72 degrees. These temperatures are not too hot or too cold. That is the ideal indoor temperature for homes during the wintertime.
How low can your thermostat go? And should you be there to find out? While some area doctors said they had no data on when a cold house becomes unsafe, they pretty much agreed that anything below 50 degrees means it's time to find safer shelter.
If you have a larger home
In larger homes, a small room may be worth heating individually if it's less than a quarter of the size of the whole house, although there's less benefit if your house is well-insulated.
For example, if you are running a space heater in your basement home office for 8-hours a day, then you can expect to pay $1.60 per day. If there are an average of 21-work days in a month, then you can expect to add around $33.60 per month to your electric bill to run your space heater.