What is the most inexpensive way to heat your home?

Question

Currently I have GAS heating (Forced AIr) and it is very expensive. I do have a woodburning fireplace but only use it in the evenings when I am home. If the wood would last in there all day it would be fine.

I would like to eliminate the need for GAS heating this winter. I am considering electric space heaters, radiant space heaters, etc. I wonder if the costs of that could be less than with natural gas.

I would leave the temperate in the home at about 70 *F

I live in North East Ohio and the winter temps get to be in the 20's F, sometimes less.

If anyone has any suggestions, please!

Answer 1

The first (and most cost-effective) way is to do a top-to-bottom evaluation of your home insulation.

Air drafts:
Look for drafts along widows, doors, outlets.
Use smoke (either with a cigarette or a blown-out match) along those areas to see if wind is blowing in.
Every little crack and crevasse that you fill with insulation or caulk, every window that can be double-paned, every crack around electrical outlets that can be filled in, every door that can be skirted will help keep the heat in.

Roof:
Make sure you have the highest rated "R" factor of insulation in your attic. Also make sure you have proper venting in your roof.

Floor:
If you have a crawl space, place covers over the vents.

Do a temperature check in each room and determine which is cooler, which is hotter.
Then consider which rooms you can close off the heat vents and shut the doors during the night.

Now - I do not know what the gas versus electric ratio is in your city, but here in Oklahoma, it is less expensive to heat with gas.
However, I have used some of these oil-filled electric radiators and I must say that they are very efficient and work very well.

Lastly, check with your utility company - they might offer free evaluations to help you improve your energy efficiency.

Too bad we' can't have some of that cold air right now!
We're burning up here in hell...um, Oklahoma!

Answer 2

you can try solar energy..it's cheap and it works.

Out here in europe that had become a trend .. i don't know what the installation cost ranges though--.
Here at home we also use radiators and I know exactly what you mean by trying to cut and minimilize the expenses as we had the same worry as with the euros coming the prices had just went double!!!

Well,the thing with floor electric warmers apart from being expensive is that when it has a tiny hole,you've got to break it all down which becomes even more a headache plus the fact that it gives off a certain amount of magnetic field of which if you're sensitive to exposure of it,it can be damaging to your health.

What you can do is put some really thick towels before your door to keep the warmth inside the room or buy those warm packs that's pretty handy in bed in those cold winter nights.

The cheapest solution would be a human blanket .. :)

Answer 3

Amory Lovins built a house in Snowmass Colorado where it gets down below zero in the winter and it is heated by the occupants body heat. You would need to get educated in that type of design and super insulation.
Without adding insulation and other methods the only cheap thing you can do is lower the temperature maybe to 60 and wear a sweater or silk long johns. Forget electric heat it is probably 3 times as expensive unless you spot heat and keep the house cold. Energy is going to keep getting more expensive so I would spend some time getting educated.

Answer 4

Ok no space heaters are not cheaper I would suggest that u put ur heat on really low like 65 and dress really warm,and have alot of blankets also electric heaters r dangerous if left alone they could start a fire and if u leave the heat at one temp all the time it costs less also I know I live in michigan!

Answer 5

A high efficiency gas furnace will always outdo an electric furnace. But if you have an inefficient one then that's your problem. If you already have Natural gas available then install an invented heater or two before next winter. You can go with the wall mount units or an invented gas fireplace. Either way they are 99.9 % efficient and will much better than an electric space heater.

Answer 6

Electric heating is generally more expensive that gas heat because the electric company buys and burns gas to produce the electricity. So you have penalty in converting gas energy into electrical energy.

Fireplaces can actually rob heat from your home if the air source for them is from inside your home. In order to burn the wood, the fire will pull warm air from inside the house to fuel the fire. Be sure that your fireplace has an outside air supply.

One thing that will help a great deal, is to insure your home is well insulated. It's generally very difficult to add insulation to the exterior walls of a home, but if you have an attic or crawlspace under your home. Adding insulation here will help a great deal. Adding insulation in the attic is easily done by purchasing bundles of fiberglass insulation and layint it over the existing insulation. Adding 12 inches of fiberglass insulation will pay for itself in just one season.

Answer 7

Electric heaters run your bill sky high. Gas is cheaper. There is a co. that makes corn heated furnaces for homes and they are not that high to buy.There are units and smaller ones to go inside. I recieved a newsletter from them and gave it to my brother who is a contractor. I can't think of the co. name.Sorry. You could probably find it on the internet though.Fireplaces can take your heated air right up the chimney and you end up by adding onto your gas bill. Keep warm this winter. It is 105 here in Texas and really hard to think about a heater!Best wishes!

Answer 8

I would go with electric space heaters. I live in Maine and that's what I use. It costs about $30 a month to heat 5 rooms. And I think electricity costs more here than in Ohio.

Answer 9

Electricity is generally more money than natural gas to heat your home. I live in Wisconsin, where it gets mighty cold in the winter. I always keep my temperatures set at 65 during the day and 58 at night. If you get cold, put on a sweater and warm socks. Also, make sure you have really good attic insulation. That makes a big difference.

Answer 10

A Hardy wood stove is a great way to heat your home and heat your water. It lowers your electric bill up to75 %. If you consider it they are expensive BUT they save you lots and lots of money in the long run. Also it's a garentee you won't run out of hot water. It would be best if your a home owner not a renter.