"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
news

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
"Electric heat is 100% efficient, so dragging a portable unit to
the basement or wherever, is not a bad solution. "

I've heard that hundreds of times but there is still a part that
confuses me.

Like many other houses, my basement is cooler than the rest of the
house and I occasionally will use an oil-filled radiator to warm the
space up if I need to spend time down there. I also use a small space
heater with a fan to warm up my basement shop.

I know that the heaters are "100% efficient" but all that tells me is
that all of the electricity is being used to create heat. What is
doesn't tell me is how much it's actually costing me to heat the space
with an electric heater as compared to adding more forced air ducts.

Yes, the electric heat is 100% efficiant, but it usually cost more than
many other kinds of heat. You may have to say that a heat pump is 200%
efficiant and gas and oil is 150 % efficiant compaired to the electric
heat. What you really need to know is how much each BTU is going to cost
with each type.


Exactly, the fact is, there is no waste on the user end. But it's rarely the
cheapest way to go. I kind of liken it to my utility company asking me if
I'm willing to pay more per KWH if they buy into windmills