Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
richsoil.com
Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
1–10 of 276 posts
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#2I wonder what's the home efficiency.
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#3I take a more middle-of-the-road philosophy in my house, with primary reliance on space heaters for room-by-room heating. Why do I care if the kitchen is 72°F at 2pm while I'm working at my desk in my office?
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#4In my experience thermal underwear (long johns) should be considered a must during winter. You don't have to live in a place like Canada or Minnesota to make them a standard part of your wardrobe.
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#5Yes
Most people want "summer inside the house" which is absurdly wasteful
Of course, it sucks when changing clothes or taking a shower, but there are ways of heating locally.
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#6This is where I really prefer the European model[1] - you heat the whole house with hot water. You make hot water with cheap natural gas. If you're lucky enough, you can even use geothermal.
Then you use insulation. This especially is something that feels nobody in the US has heard of. At least in California.
As a result, your radiators are turned down to 2 out of 10 all day (heating turns off automatically overnight), and you have to sometimes open a window when it's -13C outside so you don't sweat.
Now I don't know how much people spend on heating when they live in a house house, but my apartment's heating bill this winter was about 30 euro a month[2] and I had to keep all my radiators turned off because the one in the bathroom couldn't be regulated. So that alone was enough to heat everything to extremely comfortable levels.
tl;dr don't heat with air, insulate your fucking house, and install modern windows
[1] Could just be where I'm from, but it seems fairly common in Europe and not at all something I've seen in the US
[2] I think my gramps spends about 2k euro in October to pay for natural gas that heats his house until some time in April. So about 300/month for a ~10 bedroom house because he's got a house that's way too big.
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#7>In June of 2010 I moved to a place in Montana with only electric heat.
Living that far north and depending on one heat source is crazy! Think about the power going out when its -30 out... or if you used gas, running out or having your furnace break down.
(Not to mention electric is usually the most expensive way to heat). Most houses where I live have 2 or 3 heat sources. I have wood, LP and electric...
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#8A similar approach works in hot climates. A friend of mine saved a substantial amount of money by getting an efficient portable AC unit for his bedroom, and shutting off the main air conditioner for the house at night. In a southern summer, the savings add up quick.
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#9Well, not heating your house enough can also cost you your house as mold and ice can grow in very cold zone of your house. But I do like the ingenuity of the solution.
Shit Norwegians Say: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”
Re: Micro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill
#10Well, not heating your house enough can also cost you your house as mold and ice can grow in very cold zone of your house. But I do like the ingenuity of the solution. Shit Norwegians Say: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”
This is addressed in the article.
>FAQ: It might work in Montana, but in Seattle, our windows would get moldy
>There are a variety of ways to mitigate the mold problems that occur in cold, humid climates. I did some experimenting when I lived in the Seattle area and have compared notes with people that are still living there. This is a really large issues even if you don't try this. While there are many things to be done, I think the first two would be: 1) learn how to properly clean mold problems (borax, not bleach) and 2) a dehumidifier nearly eliminates all mold problems and gives off heat.