Considering an electric space heater for home use?

A caution about portable space heaters

Using a portable electric space heater can be one of the most expensive ways to heat your home.

• At today's prices, electric heat costs at least twice as much per BTU as natural gas. In order to achieve any meaningful savings with a space heater, you would need to use it to heat just the room you're occupying and turn down the thermostat to the rest of the house so the furnace doesn't run.
• This practice may be impractical or even unsafe.

Beware of claims that seem too good to be true

Customers have called MGE about advertising they've seen for a "portable space heater that can cut your heating bill by up to 50%" or a "miracle fireplace that uses less energy than a coffee maker, yet produces an amazing 5,119 BTUs!"

These products sell for around $300. Yet they are no more efficient and produce no more heat than a $30 space heater from your local hardware store.

For more information

Call MGE's Home Energy Line and talk with our energy experts at (608) 252-7117

U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Consumer Reports, November 2008

Consumer Reports, February 2010

Portable Electric Space Heaters [184 kB PDF]