1. Electric is not as cost-efficient as gas.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price per kilowatt hour is $0.175 for November 2024. To compare, a therm (approximately 29.3 kilowatt hours) costs only $1.491, which the equivalent electricity consumption would set back almost 5 dollars ($4.98 to be exact).
Operating a space heater with 1500 watts (about 1.5 kilowatts) for eight hours a day will cost you about $2.10 per day or about $63 per month, a lot on your energy bill for just a small heating platform.
2. Space heaters cause the majority of fires
According to the NFPA (National Fire Prevention Agency), 44% of the 44,210 house fires (about 19452 house fires) are caused by space heaters. In addition, 81% of the 480 deaths and a loss of $540 million are due to space heaters, almost like space heaters are furnaces are mini hellspawns ready to burn down at a moment’s notice. However, most of these accidents are caused by unattended space heaters.
3. Space heaters cannot be plugged into a power strip
Most cheap and poor-quality power strips cannot handle the long-term use of space heaters. Combined with other electronics such as phones, laptops, and computers, it could overload the circuit further, leading to a devastating house fire, especially if the space heater is close to flammable materials such as wooden furniture or curtains.
Alternatives for heating your home
While space heaters can be a bandage solution for your heating needs, a better and more long-term solution is checking on your heating system. Our highly trained HVAC technicians will inspect your heating system for any problems, so you won’t have to rely on the fire risk and the power-hungry machines that are space heaters and you can stay warm all winter without any hiccups.
Please call us at 713-992-7403 or use the Contact Us form to check on your heating system.
