making the best of electric heat

[Paul Wheaton]

This video demonstrates how I cut 87% off of my electric heat bill last february:

YouTube

[calliemoonbeam]

That's a great idea Paul. I had already discovered the foot heating a couple of winters ago. My feet were freezing, so I put my regular heating pad down there and it worked great, so last winter I actually bought what was sold as a foot heating pad, works great, but my fingers and nose do still get cold, so I might try the lamp thing.

Could you expound a little more, though, on the bathroom? You mentioned the heat "being up" in there and the door closed, so how to you heat the bathroom and yet not the office without using an electric heater? Also, how do you prevent the pipes in the kitchen and laundry room from freezing up?

Thanks, always enjoy your videos!

[Paul Wheaton]

bathroom: there is a baseboard heater in there. I set it to about 62 and keep the doors mostly closed. That way, the bathroom is always a bit warmer.

The big article for all this is at: http://www.richsoil.com/electric-heat.jsp

And the full experimenting I did is at: http://www.permies.com/t/4906

The stuff about keeping the pipes from freezing: http://www.permies.com/forums/posts/list/120/4906#56152

[calliemoonbeam]

I should have known, the permies site, lol! Doh! I haven't had time to get over there, but will.

Thanks again for posting this, I'm always looking for ways to lower my bills, they're outrageous here. Happy Thanksgiving!

[chewie]

very good.; but I am curious--we have in floor boiler heat. you know, tubes running thru the cement of our floor, heating it like a brick oven. our whole heating bill last winter was $500. but if we'd turn down more, (usually set around 68) and use a space heater like this one would we be saving much?

our power was out for 3 straight days n horrible winter weather, and we only lost 10 degrees. it was juuuust starting to be nippy. an really, we'd been fine with a bit more clothing, but I was mostly worried over my daughter's cockateil, not a cold weather bird!

I am more than happy to wear longjohns, a sweater and thick socks and usually shoes too. never thought of the fingerless gloves, that's a good one. often when my hands get cold I go do dishes! and bake bread. but any other ways to turn it down without suffering is highly interesting to me.

[Paul Wheaton]

The answer to your question is the same as nearly all questions: it depends. The answer to your question could fill a book.

So I'm gonna take some shortcuts here. If it were me, I would probably turn it down to 50, and then use these contraptions to heat just me as needed.

And if I was gonna have guests, I would probably turn it up to 70 for a few days. After all, that underfloor stuff is really nice and feels really good. I would probably use it more as a treat than as the norm. Mostly because I would probably rather have the $400 in savings than the luxury. But that's just me.

Further, I might look into something like a rocket mass heater. Because it has a lot of the luxury, plus some other luxuries that I like. And, if nothing else, it is a fascinating thing.

Does this help answer your question?

[Danaus29]

Neat ideas!!!!

So, just where do you buy heated mice and keyboards?

[Win07_351]

I usually just heat 1 room with an electric space heater. I think it costs me around $50 or so/month and it's cozy in there.

I do have space heaters in the bathrooms, but only use them if I'm in there.

[clovis]

Paul-

I really enjoy the threads you start, but what is the title of the YT vid?

We are on dial up, so I have to search it on my iPhone. I'd love to watch...

Any chance you could start posting the titles when you link YT?

[Danaus29]

I think this is the title:
87% off electric heat bill: heat the person instead of the house

[Paul Wheaton]

Originally Posted by Danaus29

Neat ideas!!!!

So, just where do you buy heated mice and keyboards?

This article has links to the stuff I bought.

[Paul Wheaton]

Originally Posted by clovis

Paul-

I really enjoy the threads you start, but what is the title of the YT vid?

We are on dial up, so I have to search it on my iPhone. I'd love to watch...

Any chance you could start posting the titles when you link YT?

This is the first time somebody has asked for that.

If you click on the link, does it show you the title?

The trick is that I usually start with a title and then think "that's stupid" and change it a couple of times.

[Danaus29]

I need to get one of those swing arm lamps and a heated mattress pad. Once the bed is warm I have no problem sleeping in a cold room.

Thanks for the links.

[Fowler]

I have a serious question, by turning your heat way down and not heating up the whole house arent you asking for other problems? Like peeling paint, busted pipes, cracks on your walls, etc?

[Paul Wheaton]

I've now been asked about frozen pipes and mold issues so many times I've added a bit of stuff to the bottom of the article: http://www.richsoil.com/electric-heat.jsp

[Sonshine]

We have central electric heat. We used it our first year and almost froze to death and still had a huge electric bill. We got a kerosene heater that does great, but then a couple of years ago got a wood stove and it works even better. Now we don't have to worry about those huge electric bills.

[Paul Wheaton]

When it comes to wood heat, rocket mass heaters are the best.

And, I suppose folks still might have a far off room and think "should I build a rocket mass heater in here? Or maybe I can come up with something else."

I wrote the article for those folks where a rocket mass heater is not an option.

[PhilJohnson]

I have electric heat, it stinks. I've never spent so much money to feel uncomfortable as I did last winter. My highest electric bill was 475 bucks, which during the worst of the cold was enough to keep it slightly above freezing inside the house. The pipes would freeze every night, requiring me to run a Reddi heater before going to bed for a half hour and then a half hour when I woke up. I have wood heat, but the furnace is small so I'm lucky if I get 3 hours worth of burn time. The house itself has no insulation, shot windows, drafty to the point where the wind blows the curtains move. Within a matter of a half hour during the coldest time of the year the house will be below freezing from 65 degrees without having the heat on. I'm dreading this winter.

[elevenpoint]

I will assume that is for when you cannot have a woodstove maybe? Otherwise, a few logs and I can be in t-shirt and shorts and sleep without blankets.

[Danaus29]

I've got a woodstove in the basement which does very well when it come to keeping the floor and the livingroom warm. But the bedrooms which are over the crawlspace and on the other end of the house don't get enough heat from the stove. And there are times when we don't use wood and rely solely on the electric heat. Those are the times when info like this is really appreciated.

I may get Mom a heated keyboard for Christmas. Her house is old and drafty and her computer desk is between a door and window.