Oil filled heater and ceramic versus Heat Pump on unit. Which is better?

Question

I have purchased two ceramic heaters and an oil filled heater for use this coming winter. We have a heat pump on our unit and it eats us up in the winter time with heating bills.
The heaters that I bought all have thermostats and can be set at 750 or 1500 watts. I did use the oil filled radiant heater some last year and it seemed to help with the bills but the back rooms were cool so I bought the ceramic heaters to use this coming year.
We have a small 2 bedroom, one bath house. Less than 900 sq feet.

Answer 1

If you stop using the heat pump you will eliminate the operation of a pump and a fan. Both the pump and the fan use electricity. The electric heaters should be 100 percent efficient but may not give you the same type of comfort. But different comfort does not mean neccesarily less comfort. Saving money is also comforting.

The other ways to save are insulation, siding, good windows, no drafts during the winter, and the lowest comfortable setting on the t-stat. If everybody in the home dresses warmer then maybe during the day the t-stat can be kept even lower.

Answer 2

The heat pump is only practical if your temperature does not go below 40* or 35* in very dry areas. When the pump is not able to extract heat from the environment, it uses electric backup heaters. You will be paying for electric heat weather you use the heat pump or the space heaters. The only advantage you have, is that you can shut off some of the space heaters when you are not in that area.

If you own the house, increase the insulation in the ceiling and walls, and seal cracks around doors/windows with caulking. If you can convert the fuel source to natural gas, propane, or can stand the smell of diesel, go with fuel oil. Fuel oil is expensive, but the newer machines are highly efficient, and will warm the house and save you money down the road. They even burn bio-diesel.

A wood stove will suck cold air into the home to feed the fire, and 80% of the heat will go up the chimney, but the fuel can be free if you burn junk mail.