January 5, 2021 • 24 mins
Space heaters may help us stay warm during the cold winter months, but do you know how much it is costing you? Just one space heater can add almost $100 per month on your electric bill. Learn more by listening to Aaron Epstein, Member Services Representative from Intercounty Electric Cooperative, discuss how to stay warm while saving money and staying safe.Season 2 Episode 1
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Christina (00:00):
Hi, my name is Christina and I am with Cookson
Hills Electric Co-op. One of myfavorite things about this
service is that wheneverthere's a power outage, they
always do their best to getyour services restored as
quickly as possible. Um, withthe recent storms that we had,
they was very quick to get ourelectric power restored and I'm
(00:21):
very happy with the service .
Mark Viguet (00:42):
Welcome to the Power for Your Life podcast,
where we focus on energyefficiency, the value of
electric cooperativemembership, and safety with
electricity. I'm Mark Viga ,the host, and today we will be
discussing space heaters safetyand efficiency. With the cold
weather this month, many of youmay be turning to space heaters
(01:04):
to stay warm, but they can bedangerous if not used properly.
According to the National FireProtection Association Space
Heaters account for 43% of allUS home heating fires and 85%
of associated deaths. Butknowing just a few safety tips
(01:25):
when using space heaters cankeep you and your family safe
with me by phone. Today to talkabout this very important topic
is Aaron Epstein, memberServices Representative from
Intercounty ElectricCooperative. Aaron , thank you
for joining me today.
Aaron Epstein (01:42):
Hey Mark , it's great to be here and thanks for
having me.
Mark Viguet (01:46):
Let's jump right in and talk about safety. The
first thing members are likelygoing to do is pull that space
heater outta storage. Now, howdoes somebody know if it is
still safe to use or if theyshould retire that old space
heater
Aaron Epstein (02:01):
Mark? One of the first things I would inspect
would be the cord. Depending onwhere you had stored the space
heater for the last six months,it is possible that there could
have been mice or other rodentsthat may have chewed on the
cord and exposed some barewires. If this is the case, I
would probably just throw itaway. Another option would be
to replace the cord, but makesure you get an electrician
(02:22):
that really knows what they'redoing. You have to consider
what this would cost versusjust buying a new one.
Oftentimes people will storespace heaters without putting
them in the original box andthey can become very dusty. I
would use an air compressor toblow off any dust that may have
accumulated on the coils. Thiswill also eliminate that bad
smell that is present when youplug a space heater in after
(02:44):
it's been sitting for severalmonths. More than anything,
give the cord a good look overbecause you certainly don't
want any freight or bear wiresexposed. This also goes for
electric blankets. You need toperiodically inspect cords in
case a pet may have chewed onor even a cord that could get
pinched from having a furnitureor other objects sitting on the
cord. Also, make sure when youpurchase a space heater, it has
(03:08):
a UL approved label on it. Thiswill usually be a sticker
wrapped around the cord on thespace heater.
Mark Viguet (03:14):
Well, that's great advice, Aaron . And um , you
know, we don't think much aboutthose stickers on the cords or
about how worn they can become,so that's great advice. And
when a member decides it istime to get rid of an old space
heater, what are some idealqualities somebody should look
for in a replacement
Aaron Epstein (03:35):
Mark? I've gathered , uh, some notes here
and I have five common types ofspace heaters and with those, I
have pros and cons of each. Sothe first one is a ceramic
space heater. These work byallowing electricity to pass
through coils, heating upceramic plates. The heating
process is instant and it takesvery little time to fill the
warming effects of this type ofheater. Some have a fan built
(03:57):
in them and others don't. Someof the pros are instant heat.
Ceramic plates take a while tocool down, so there is residual
heat radiating after heater hasbeen turned off. Some cons are
most ceramic space heaters haveto constantly run and use
electrical energy to deliverheat, no thermostats, so it's
(04:18):
hot heat and constant. Thesecond space heater is a fan
space heater, very similar to aceramic heater. In fact, it
operates in almost every singleway except for the heating
element. Instead of usingceramic plates, these types of
space heaters run electricitythrough a metal coil and that
is what transfers heat into theair. Some of the pros of this
(04:40):
type of heater is as cheap tobuy. You have instant heat.
Heat can be oscillated andobviously there's a fan built
in these. Some of the cons areheat stops being transferred as
soon as the heater is turnedoff. These must constantly run
to deliver heat. The third typeof space heater is an infrared
space heater. The way infraredspace heaters warm up a space
(05:03):
is by emitting electromagneticwaves into the air that heat up
the physical objects that arepresent. The process is similar
to how the sun uses radiationto the earth. So instead of
warming up the air, infraredheaters, heat up objects such
as furniture, carpeting, ourbodies, et cetera . Some of the
pros with this type of heateris it can heat up large areas.
(05:25):
Heat is long lasting andcontinues even when the
infrared heater is turned off.
And some include a digitalthermostat with remote control.
Some cons are the heater itselfcan be heavy, more expensive,
but mostly it requires physicalobjects in the room to absorb
the heat transfer. So fewerobjects equals less heat. The
fourth one is an oil-filledspace heater. Inside the body
(05:49):
of this type of heater isdiathermic oil. This oil gets
heated up and circulatesthrough the columns or fins on
the heater. As those spins gethot, the surface temperature
rises and heat is released intothe air. Some pros are heat is
long lasting and continues evenwhen the heater is turned off.
It doesn't have to continue torun to provide heat when cons
(06:11):
are no oil filled , spaceheaters have a fan and the
housing can get very hot. Soit's probably not a good idea
to use one of these in an areawhere a child or infant can
come in contact with it. So nowthe question is what space
heater is best for me? And theanswer is quite simple. If
you're heating up a small areasuch as a bathroom before you
(06:31):
step into the shower, or like afew of my coworkers need their
feet warm and a ceramic or faceor fan space heater is the best
choice. If you're wanting toheat up a large space, say for
instance a man cave or a sewingroom, then the infrared heater
or oil filled space heater isthe best choice. My personal
(06:52):
choice would be an oil filledspace heater, but like I
mentioned earlier, they can bevery hot to the touch. I like
these because they'rethermostatically controlled and
the oil will retain heat, sotheat won't be kicking on and
off as much.
Mark Viguet (07:07):
Well , that's a great overview. I had no idea
there were so many types ofspace heaters. Um, so if we
think about what you've told usalready, Aaron , you've talked
about inspecting and blowingoff the cord and the space
heater itself when you take itoutta storage , um, looking for
for things that that may beamiss with it and you've gone
(07:30):
over these different types ofspace heaters for when they
need to be replaced. Um, what'ssomething when the member
brings home one of these shinynew space heaters, how do they
use it safely? What tips do youhave for our listeners on that
?
Aaron Epstein (07:47):
Okay, so safety should always be a top
consideration when using spaceheaters. And here are some tips
for keeping your home safe andwarm When it's cold outside,
make sure your space heater hasa label showing that is listed
by a recognized testinglaboratory. Uh, we mentioned
this earlier, it needs to be ULapproved and there should be a
(08:09):
tag on that cord. Before usingany space heater , read the
manufacturer's instructions andwarning labels Carefully
inspect heaters for cracked orbroken plugs or loose
connections before each use. Iffrayed warn damage, do not use
the heater. Never leave a spaceheater unattended. Turn it off
(08:29):
when you're leaving a room orgoing to sleep. And don't let
pets or children play too closeto a space heater. Space
heaters are only meant toprovide supplemental heat and
should never be used to warmbedding, cook food, dry
clothing, or quad pipes. It'simportant to install smoke
alarms on every floor of yourhome and outside all sleeping
(08:51):
areas and test them once amonth. Proper replacement of
space heaters is critical.
Heaters must be kept at leastthree feet away from anything
that can burn , includingpapers, clothing and rugs.
Locate space heaters out ofhigh traffic areas and doorways
where they may pose a trippinghazard. Plug space heaters
directly in into a wall outlet.
(09:12):
Do not use an extension cord orpower strip , which can
overheat and result in a fire.
Do not plug any otherelectrical devices into the
same outlet as the heater.
Place. Space heaters on levelflat surfaces never place
heaters on cabinets, cables,furniture or carpet which can
overheat and start a fire.
(09:33):
Always unplugged and safelystore the heater when it's not
used.
Mark Viguet (09:37):
Well, we've learned a lot about space
heaters in a sharp period oftime. We love the convenience,
we love the warmth they bringand they bring that quickly,
but we do have to takeresponsibility for using those
safely. We're gonna talk moreabout that and other topics
when we return in just aminute.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Are you prepared to stay safe and warm? If a winter
storm knocks out power, ice,wind and heavy snow can slow
down restoration. So have extrablankets and supplies on hand
to help weather a prolongedoutage safely. And before
venturing outside, be awarethat ice and snow can hide
dangers like downed power linesthat are energized. Learn more
(10:37):
about Winter stormsafety@safeelectricity.org.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Discover the value of your co-op membership visit
members first dot co-op today,
Speaker 6 (10:48):
Your laptop, tv, mobile phone, or devices you
might say Your touchstoneEnergy cooperative is in the
business of keeping youconnected to everyone and
everything that's essential dayor night. We're always here
making life easier because whenall is said and done of all the
connections we make, none aremore powerful than the human
(11:11):
connection.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Discover the value of your co-op membership visit
members first dot co-op todayenergy saving tip number 92.
Use heavy duty clear sheets ofplastic sealed tightly on the
inside of windows to reduce theamount of cold air entering
your home.
Mark Viguet (11:55):
Welcome back to The Power For Your Life
podcast. We're visiting todaywith Aaron Epstein from Inner
County Electric Cooperative andwe've talked about space
heater, safety tips, and wereally want to go into a
different area now and that'sefficiency that's important to
all of us. How muchelectricity, how much energy do
(12:15):
these space heaters use? Someadvertisements claim there are
magic space heaters, if youwill, that save members money
by cutting costs and heating.
And I'm curious, are you awareof these claims and do you
think those are true ? Or mayberelated to that, what type of
heater is best?
Aaron Epstein (12:34):
You know, mark, there are so many infomercials
and advertisements that claimtheir space heater is saving
tons of money on the utilitybills. But the bottom line is
that it's all about the wattageof these space heaters. I think
later in this podcast we willgo more in depth on what this
means, but honestly I don'tlike to say that space space
(12:55):
heaters have any energyefficiency to them because with
the exception of infraredheaters, they're all resistance
type heaters, but it's stillall about the wattage of the
space heater and most spaceheaters are 1500 watts . Space
heaters are absolutely not agood way to cut heating costs
like the manufacturer's claim.
(13:16):
If anything, they will cost youmore money in the long run
space heaters should be usedfor supplemental heat only and
to be used for short periods oftime .
Mark Viguet (13:26):
Yeah, I think that's really important and
that's something that you knowearly in my life I
misunderstood , um, was thefact that these are really just
for temporary and supplementaluse. They're not meant to
continually warm an entire areaof a home, and if you do that,
it's gonna cost you some money.
So very important for ourmembers to remember that. So
(13:50):
how much does it really cost torun a space heater in your
home?
Aaron Epstein (13:54):
Well mark , this may sound weird and a little
nerdy, but one of the bestparts of my job is educating a
member on a cost using a spaceheater. Quite often I discover
that one or more space heatersare being used in a member's
house or even in a wellhouse.
So for today's example, I'll betalking about the space heater
that is being used in awellhouse running nonstop. 24
(14:18):
hours in a day like almost allspace heaters used. This one
will be 1500 watts. So there'sa very simple formula that can
be used to determine how muchanything electrical is costing
a member , whether it be permonth, per day, per hour, even
per minute. And that formula iswatts times the number of cars
(14:45):
that electrical device is beingused times the number of days
in your billing cycle dividedby 1000 because that is what a
kilowatt hour is. Take thatnumber and times it by your
co-OP's kilowatt hour charge.
So this little space heater inthe wellhouse is 1500 watts. We
(15:06):
take 1500, multiply that by 24because this has been running
all day and all night. Thenmultiply that by the number of
days in your billing cycle.
That's gonna be either 30 or 31depending on what month it is.
I will be using 30 for thisexample. So take that total and
divide it by 1000 because 1000is a kilowatt. Now multiply
(15:31):
your total by whatever yourco-op charges per kilowatt
hour. At inner county our rateis 0.087 a kilowatt hour for
roughly 8 cents. So if you havedone the math correctly, the
total for just this one spacehere being used in this
wellhouse 24 hours a day, sevendays a week, in one month's
(15:51):
time in this billing cycle,this space heater will cost you
$93 and 96 cents. So this givesa pretty good idea on how much
these little guys will cost. Myadvice to the member who might
be doing this is to spend alittle money on your wellhouse
and make sure it is insulatedwith no way any air can get
into the wellhouse and only usea 150 watt heat bulb heat . The
(16:15):
pipes are freezing that 150watt heat bulb running 24 7
just like that little spaceheater was will only cost you
$9 and 39 cents a month insteadof 93 96. That is a huge
difference and the ultimategoal is the same. Keeping your
whale pipes from freezing mark.
(16:35):
I have been to members' homeswhere they were using more than
one space heater in addition totheir main source of heat. The
bottom line here is use a spaceheater sparingly and whatever
you do, don't use them as amain source of heat. They're
not meant to run 24 7.
Mark Viguet (16:52):
Wow. Uh, that example is really eye-opening.
That's a lot more than Iwould've thought it costs to
run one of those. And it kindof leads me to a question and
that would be, is thereanything else you can think of
recommending other than justusing space heaters? Are there
things members can do to maybehelp accomplish some of the
(17:13):
same goals of comfort,convenience, et cetera ?
Aaron Epstein (17:18):
Actually, there are several inexpensive ways to
make your home more energyefficient and one of the
simplest ways is to purchase HUand apply that to all interior
and exterior doors and windows.
The goal here is to prevent andeliminate any air infiltration.
Replacing the whipp strippingon exterior doors is also an
(17:39):
inexpensive way to keep outsideair from entering and inside
air from escaping. If you cansee daylight under or around
your exterior doors, it'sprobably time for little
maintenance. The biggest bangfor your buck is going to be
blown in attic insulation. Ihave been on many energy audits
where the member has an olderhome with the paper backed back
(18:03):
insulation in their attic. Thisis typically only six inches
and not nearly enough foradequate attic insulation . The
US Department of Energy hasrecommended R values for
different parts of the US andthis is of course dependent on
the various climates in the us. For most of Missouri, we are
in a zone with a recommended Rvalue of 38. But what that
(18:25):
means is your addict shouldhave a minimum of 11 inches of
insulation. By adding blown ininsulation on top of your bad
insulation, you can easilyincrease your ATS R value .
This is an excellent and easyway to make your home more
energy efficient. I have talkedwith members who saw their
utility bills decreasedimmediately after having done
(18:46):
this, but in this case it was amember who had only six inches
of attic insulation and theyhappened to increase their
total depth to 18 inches. Aquestion I get asked a lot is
what temperature? So I set mythermostat at and honestly that
depends on who you live with.
It is recommended that yourthermostat be set at 68 degrees
(19:08):
during the winter and 72degrees during summer. But in
my house, my wife simplywouldn't go for that. It was up
to her. She would keep it on 72year round . Thermostats have
come a long way since the daysof the non-digital thermostats.
We now have digital thermostatsthat can be set to different
temperatures throughout theday. Let's say while you're
sleeping, you're okay withturning it down to 68 degrees,
(19:29):
but during we times, you'recomfortable with the thermostat
at 71 degrees or you canprogram it to bump up a few
degrees right before you wakeup in the morning. There are
also smart thermostats that canbe controlled from your
smartphone. As a side note,associated as a rebate for
smart thermostats, one of themost efficient and reliable
ways to heat and cool a home iswith a heat pump system. Heat
(19:52):
pumps have been around for along time, especially overseas,
but have only become morepopular in the US seems like
within the last 20 years. Iwon't go into great detail with
the science behind heat pumps,but simply put, they rely on
outside temperatures as asource to heat and cool your
home. There are a couple ofdifferent kinds of heat pumps
and the first one is called anair to air heat pump. These are
(20:14):
the least expensive old househeat pumps. These are very
efficient down to a certain lowtemperature, usually from
around 20 degrees. But it seemslike every year the
manufacturers of these arecoming up with some units that
are extremely efficient. Infact, I believe they even have
some now that operateeffectively down to zero
degrees. The only downfall tothis type of heat pump is once
(20:37):
the outside temperature reachesat certain low temperature,
your heat pump will need somesource of an auxiliary or
backup to heat your home. Inmost cases, the homeowner will
choose electric heat strips intheir furnace or go with a dual
fuel setup , meaning propane ornatural gas as their auxiliary
source. The other kind of heatpump is called a ground source
(20:58):
heat pump. Instead of usingoutside air as it's sourced for
heating and cooling, it uses aconstant ground temperature,
usually around 50 degrees. Withthis type of system, it is not
necessary to have an auxiliarysource of heat due to the 50
degrees ground temperature.
Ground source heat pumps aremore costly upfront , but are
excellent investments,especially if you plan on
(21:18):
building a new home. In thepast there have been government
tax incentives that help withthis cost and your local co-op
in conjunction with associatedoffer rebates on both types of
heat pumps. There are a lot oflittle things members can do to
be proactive in home energyefficiency and I encourage them
to talk with the memberservices people at their local
co-op or simply research energyefficiency tips on the
(21:41):
internet. There really are alot of great resources out
there. Mark .
Mark Viguet (21:44):
Well, Aaron , those are , uh, really some
eye-opening , uh, stats aboutheat pumps and how they can
maybe help you save money inthe long run. So , um, what
we've learned about todayreally are quick, convenient
space heating , uh, anddifferent types of space
heaters and the fact that we'vereally gotta be careful with
(22:05):
those, make sure they're ingood working order , uh, make
sure that those are usedappropriately and safely and
we've learned about somealternatives to that, some
energy efficiency steps we cantake and pull different
technologies that might be usedto help us save lots of money
over the long term . And AaronEpstein with Inner County
Electric Cooperative , thankyou for joining me today.
Aaron Epstein (22:27):
Well, mark , it's been a pleasure and I
encourage people to , um, taptheir resources and call their
member services representativesfrom their local pull ups and ,
um, they'd be happy to givesome energy efficiency to
Mark Viguet (22:41):
Absolutely. The member services representative
at your local cooperative is agreat source of information
like that you've heard todayand about lots of other
information , uh, that you maybe wondering about. So be sure
and use those folks in yourlocal cooperative when you need
them . Until next time, staywarm and stay safe.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Thanks for listening to the Power for Your Life
Podcast. To learn more aboutthis topic and other safety
efficiency and energytechnology information, contact
your local electric cooperativeor visit us on the web at
members first dot co-op. Youcan also follow us on social
(23:23):
media at facebook.com/membersfirst cooperatives
pinterest.com/members first orinstagram.com/members. First ,
if you have a question or topicyou would like us to consider
for an upcoming episode, emailus at members first , a eci.org
(23:49):
.
Hi, my name is Christina and I am with Cookson
Hills Electric Co-op. One of myfavorite things about this
service is that wheneverthere's a power outage, they
always do their best to getyour services restored as
quickly as possible. Um, withthe recent storms that we had,
they was very quick to get ourelectric power restored and I'm
(00:21):
very happy with the service .
Mark Viguet (00:42):
Welcome to the Power for Your Life podcast,
where we focus on energyefficiency, the value of
electric cooperativemembership, and safety with
electricity. I'm Mark Viga ,the host, and today we will be
discussing space heaters safetyand efficiency. With the cold
weather this month, many of youmay be turning to space heaters
(01:04):
to stay warm, but they can bedangerous if not used properly.
According to the National FireProtection Association Space
Heaters account for 43% of allUS home heating fires and 85%
of associated deaths. Butknowing just a few safety tips
(01:25):
when using space heaters cankeep you and your family safe
with me by phone. Today to talkabout this very important topic
is Aaron Epstein, memberServices Representative from
Intercounty ElectricCooperative. Aaron , thank you
for joining me today.
Aaron Epstein (01:42):
Hey Mark , it's great to be here and thanks for
having me.
Mark Viguet (01:46):
Let's jump right in and talk about safety. The
first thing members are likelygoing to do is pull that space
heater outta storage. Now, howdoes somebody know if it is
still safe to use or if theyshould retire that old space
heater
Aaron Epstein (02:01):
Mark? One of the first things I would inspect
would be the cord. Depending onwhere you had stored the space
heater for the last six months,it is possible that there could
have been mice or other rodentsthat may have chewed on the
cord and exposed some barewires. If this is the case, I
would probably just throw itaway. Another option would be
to replace the cord, but makesure you get an electrician
(02:22):
that really knows what they'redoing. You have to consider
what this would cost versusjust buying a new one.
Oftentimes people will storespace heaters without putting
them in the original box andthey can become very dusty. I
would use an air compressor toblow off any dust that may have
accumulated on the coils. Thiswill also eliminate that bad
smell that is present when youplug a space heater in after
(02:44):
it's been sitting for severalmonths. More than anything,
give the cord a good look overbecause you certainly don't
want any freight or bear wiresexposed. This also goes for
electric blankets. You need toperiodically inspect cords in
case a pet may have chewed onor even a cord that could get
pinched from having a furnitureor other objects sitting on the
cord. Also, make sure when youpurchase a space heater, it has
(03:08):
a UL approved label on it. Thiswill usually be a sticker
wrapped around the cord on thespace heater.
Mark Viguet (03:14):
Well, that's great advice, Aaron . And um , you
know, we don't think much aboutthose stickers on the cords or
about how worn they can become,so that's great advice. And
when a member decides it istime to get rid of an old space
heater, what are some idealqualities somebody should look
for in a replacement
Aaron Epstein (03:35):
Mark? I've gathered , uh, some notes here
and I have five common types ofspace heaters and with those, I
have pros and cons of each. Sothe first one is a ceramic
space heater. These work byallowing electricity to pass
through coils, heating upceramic plates. The heating
process is instant and it takesvery little time to fill the
warming effects of this type ofheater. Some have a fan built
(03:57):
in them and others don't. Someof the pros are instant heat.
Ceramic plates take a while tocool down, so there is residual
heat radiating after heater hasbeen turned off. Some cons are
most ceramic space heaters haveto constantly run and use
electrical energy to deliverheat, no thermostats, so it's
(04:18):
hot heat and constant. Thesecond space heater is a fan
space heater, very similar to aceramic heater. In fact, it
operates in almost every singleway except for the heating
element. Instead of usingceramic plates, these types of
space heaters run electricitythrough a metal coil and that
is what transfers heat into theair. Some of the pros of this
(04:40):
type of heater is as cheap tobuy. You have instant heat.
Heat can be oscillated andobviously there's a fan built
in these. Some of the cons areheat stops being transferred as
soon as the heater is turnedoff. These must constantly run
to deliver heat. The third typeof space heater is an infrared
space heater. The way infraredspace heaters warm up a space
(05:03):
is by emitting electromagneticwaves into the air that heat up
the physical objects that arepresent. The process is similar
to how the sun uses radiationto the earth. So instead of
warming up the air, infraredheaters, heat up objects such
as furniture, carpeting, ourbodies, et cetera . Some of the
pros with this type of heateris it can heat up large areas.
(05:25):
Heat is long lasting andcontinues even when the
infrared heater is turned off.
And some include a digitalthermostat with remote control.
Some cons are the heater itselfcan be heavy, more expensive,
but mostly it requires physicalobjects in the room to absorb
the heat transfer. So fewerobjects equals less heat. The
fourth one is an oil-filledspace heater. Inside the body
(05:49):
of this type of heater isdiathermic oil. This oil gets
heated up and circulatesthrough the columns or fins on
the heater. As those spins gethot, the surface temperature
rises and heat is released intothe air. Some pros are heat is
long lasting and continues evenwhen the heater is turned off.
It doesn't have to continue torun to provide heat when cons
(06:11):
are no oil filled , spaceheaters have a fan and the
housing can get very hot. Soit's probably not a good idea
to use one of these in an areawhere a child or infant can
come in contact with it. So nowthe question is what space
heater is best for me? And theanswer is quite simple. If
you're heating up a small areasuch as a bathroom before you
(06:31):
step into the shower, or like afew of my coworkers need their
feet warm and a ceramic or faceor fan space heater is the best
choice. If you're wanting toheat up a large space, say for
instance a man cave or a sewingroom, then the infrared heater
or oil filled space heater isthe best choice. My personal
(06:52):
choice would be an oil filledspace heater, but like I
mentioned earlier, they can bevery hot to the touch. I like
these because they'rethermostatically controlled and
the oil will retain heat, sotheat won't be kicking on and
off as much.
Mark Viguet (07:07):
Well , that's a great overview. I had no idea
there were so many types ofspace heaters. Um, so if we
think about what you've told usalready, Aaron , you've talked
about inspecting and blowingoff the cord and the space
heater itself when you take itoutta storage , um, looking for
for things that that may beamiss with it and you've gone
(07:30):
over these different types ofspace heaters for when they
need to be replaced. Um, what'ssomething when the member
brings home one of these shinynew space heaters, how do they
use it safely? What tips do youhave for our listeners on that
?
Aaron Epstein (07:47):
Okay, so safety should always be a top
consideration when using spaceheaters. And here are some tips
for keeping your home safe andwarm When it's cold outside,
make sure your space heater hasa label showing that is listed
by a recognized testinglaboratory. Uh, we mentioned
this earlier, it needs to be ULapproved and there should be a
(08:09):
tag on that cord. Before usingany space heater , read the
manufacturer's instructions andwarning labels Carefully
inspect heaters for cracked orbroken plugs or loose
connections before each use. Iffrayed warn damage, do not use
the heater. Never leave a spaceheater unattended. Turn it off
(08:29):
when you're leaving a room orgoing to sleep. And don't let
pets or children play too closeto a space heater. Space
heaters are only meant toprovide supplemental heat and
should never be used to warmbedding, cook food, dry
clothing, or quad pipes. It'simportant to install smoke
alarms on every floor of yourhome and outside all sleeping
(08:51):
areas and test them once amonth. Proper replacement of
space heaters is critical.
Heaters must be kept at leastthree feet away from anything
that can burn , includingpapers, clothing and rugs.
Locate space heaters out ofhigh traffic areas and doorways
where they may pose a trippinghazard. Plug space heaters
directly in into a wall outlet.
(09:12):
Do not use an extension cord orpower strip , which can
overheat and result in a fire.
Do not plug any otherelectrical devices into the
same outlet as the heater.
Place. Space heaters on levelflat surfaces never place
heaters on cabinets, cables,furniture or carpet which can
overheat and start a fire.
(09:33):
Always unplugged and safelystore the heater when it's not
used.
Mark Viguet (09:37):
Well, we've learned a lot about space
heaters in a sharp period oftime. We love the convenience,
we love the warmth they bringand they bring that quickly,
but we do have to takeresponsibility for using those
safely. We're gonna talk moreabout that and other topics
when we return in just aminute.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Are you prepared to stay safe and warm? If a winter
storm knocks out power, ice,wind and heavy snow can slow
down restoration. So have extrablankets and supplies on hand
to help weather a prolongedoutage safely. And before
venturing outside, be awarethat ice and snow can hide
dangers like downed power linesthat are energized. Learn more
(10:37):
about Winter stormsafety@safeelectricity.org.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Discover the value of your co-op membership visit
members first dot co-op today,
Speaker 6 (10:48):
Your laptop, tv, mobile phone, or devices you
might say Your touchstoneEnergy cooperative is in the
business of keeping youconnected to everyone and
everything that's essential dayor night. We're always here
making life easier because whenall is said and done of all the
connections we make, none aremore powerful than the human
(11:11):
connection.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
Discover the value of your co-op membership visit
members first dot co-op todayenergy saving tip number 92.
Use heavy duty clear sheets ofplastic sealed tightly on the
inside of windows to reduce theamount of cold air entering
your home.
Mark Viguet (11:55):
Welcome back to The Power For Your Life
podcast. We're visiting todaywith Aaron Epstein from Inner
County Electric Cooperative andwe've talked about space
heater, safety tips, and wereally want to go into a
different area now and that'sefficiency that's important to
all of us. How muchelectricity, how much energy do
(12:15):
these space heaters use? Someadvertisements claim there are
magic space heaters, if youwill, that save members money
by cutting costs and heating.
And I'm curious, are you awareof these claims and do you
think those are true ? Or mayberelated to that, what type of
heater is best?
Aaron Epstein (12:34):
You know, mark, there are so many infomercials
and advertisements that claimtheir space heater is saving
tons of money on the utilitybills. But the bottom line is
that it's all about the wattageof these space heaters. I think
later in this podcast we willgo more in depth on what this
means, but honestly I don'tlike to say that space space
(12:55):
heaters have any energyefficiency to them because with
the exception of infraredheaters, they're all resistance
type heaters, but it's stillall about the wattage of the
space heater and most spaceheaters are 1500 watts . Space
heaters are absolutely not agood way to cut heating costs
like the manufacturer's claim.
(13:16):
If anything, they will cost youmore money in the long run
space heaters should be usedfor supplemental heat only and
to be used for short periods oftime .
Mark Viguet (13:26):
Yeah, I think that's really important and
that's something that you knowearly in my life I
misunderstood , um, was thefact that these are really just
for temporary and supplementaluse. They're not meant to
continually warm an entire areaof a home, and if you do that,
it's gonna cost you some money.
So very important for ourmembers to remember that. So
(13:50):
how much does it really cost torun a space heater in your
home?
Aaron Epstein (13:54):
Well mark , this may sound weird and a little
nerdy, but one of the bestparts of my job is educating a
member on a cost using a spaceheater. Quite often I discover
that one or more space heatersare being used in a member's
house or even in a wellhouse.
So for today's example, I'll betalking about the space heater
that is being used in awellhouse running nonstop. 24
(14:18):
hours in a day like almost allspace heaters used. This one
will be 1500 watts. So there'sa very simple formula that can
be used to determine how muchanything electrical is costing
a member , whether it be permonth, per day, per hour, even
per minute. And that formula iswatts times the number of cars
(14:45):
that electrical device is beingused times the number of days
in your billing cycle dividedby 1000 because that is what a
kilowatt hour is. Take thatnumber and times it by your
co-OP's kilowatt hour charge.
So this little space heater inthe wellhouse is 1500 watts. We
(15:06):
take 1500, multiply that by 24because this has been running
all day and all night. Thenmultiply that by the number of
days in your billing cycle.
That's gonna be either 30 or 31depending on what month it is.
I will be using 30 for thisexample. So take that total and
divide it by 1000 because 1000is a kilowatt. Now multiply
(15:31):
your total by whatever yourco-op charges per kilowatt
hour. At inner county our rateis 0.087 a kilowatt hour for
roughly 8 cents. So if you havedone the math correctly, the
total for just this one spacehere being used in this
wellhouse 24 hours a day, sevendays a week, in one month's
(15:51):
time in this billing cycle,this space heater will cost you
$93 and 96 cents. So this givesa pretty good idea on how much
these little guys will cost. Myadvice to the member who might
be doing this is to spend alittle money on your wellhouse
and make sure it is insulatedwith no way any air can get
into the wellhouse and only usea 150 watt heat bulb heat . The
(16:15):
pipes are freezing that 150watt heat bulb running 24 7
just like that little spaceheater was will only cost you
$9 and 39 cents a month insteadof 93 96. That is a huge
difference and the ultimategoal is the same. Keeping your
whale pipes from freezing mark.
(16:35):
I have been to members' homeswhere they were using more than
one space heater in addition totheir main source of heat. The
bottom line here is use a spaceheater sparingly and whatever
you do, don't use them as amain source of heat. They're
not meant to run 24 7.
Mark Viguet (16:52):
Wow. Uh, that example is really eye-opening.
That's a lot more than Iwould've thought it costs to
run one of those. And it kindof leads me to a question and
that would be, is thereanything else you can think of
recommending other than justusing space heaters? Are there
things members can do to maybehelp accomplish some of the
(17:13):
same goals of comfort,convenience, et cetera ?
Aaron Epstein (17:18):
Actually, there are several inexpensive ways to
make your home more energyefficient and one of the
simplest ways is to purchase HUand apply that to all interior
and exterior doors and windows.
The goal here is to prevent andeliminate any air infiltration.
Replacing the whipp strippingon exterior doors is also an
(17:39):
inexpensive way to keep outsideair from entering and inside
air from escaping. If you cansee daylight under or around
your exterior doors, it'sprobably time for little
maintenance. The biggest bangfor your buck is going to be
blown in attic insulation. Ihave been on many energy audits
where the member has an olderhome with the paper backed back
(18:03):
insulation in their attic. Thisis typically only six inches
and not nearly enough foradequate attic insulation . The
US Department of Energy hasrecommended R values for
different parts of the US andthis is of course dependent on
the various climates in the us. For most of Missouri, we are
in a zone with a recommended Rvalue of 38. But what that
(18:25):
means is your addict shouldhave a minimum of 11 inches of
insulation. By adding blown ininsulation on top of your bad
insulation, you can easilyincrease your ATS R value .
This is an excellent and easyway to make your home more
energy efficient. I have talkedwith members who saw their
utility bills decreasedimmediately after having done
(18:46):
this, but in this case it was amember who had only six inches
of attic insulation and theyhappened to increase their
total depth to 18 inches. Aquestion I get asked a lot is
what temperature? So I set mythermostat at and honestly that
depends on who you live with.
It is recommended that yourthermostat be set at 68 degrees
(19:08):
during the winter and 72degrees during summer. But in
my house, my wife simplywouldn't go for that. It was up
to her. She would keep it on 72year round . Thermostats have
come a long way since the daysof the non-digital thermostats.
We now have digital thermostatsthat can be set to different
temperatures throughout theday. Let's say while you're
sleeping, you're okay withturning it down to 68 degrees,
(19:29):
but during we times, you'recomfortable with the thermostat
at 71 degrees or you canprogram it to bump up a few
degrees right before you wakeup in the morning. There are
also smart thermostats that canbe controlled from your
smartphone. As a side note,associated as a rebate for
smart thermostats, one of themost efficient and reliable
ways to heat and cool a home iswith a heat pump system. Heat
(19:52):
pumps have been around for along time, especially overseas,
but have only become morepopular in the US seems like
within the last 20 years. Iwon't go into great detail with
the science behind heat pumps,but simply put, they rely on
outside temperatures as asource to heat and cool your
home. There are a couple ofdifferent kinds of heat pumps
and the first one is called anair to air heat pump. These are
(20:14):
the least expensive old househeat pumps. These are very
efficient down to a certain lowtemperature, usually from
around 20 degrees. But it seemslike every year the
manufacturers of these arecoming up with some units that
are extremely efficient. Infact, I believe they even have
some now that operateeffectively down to zero
degrees. The only downfall tothis type of heat pump is once
(20:37):
the outside temperature reachesat certain low temperature,
your heat pump will need somesource of an auxiliary or
backup to heat your home. Inmost cases, the homeowner will
choose electric heat strips intheir furnace or go with a dual
fuel setup , meaning propane ornatural gas as their auxiliary
source. The other kind of heatpump is called a ground source
(20:58):
heat pump. Instead of usingoutside air as it's sourced for
heating and cooling, it uses aconstant ground temperature,
usually around 50 degrees. Withthis type of system, it is not
necessary to have an auxiliarysource of heat due to the 50
degrees ground temperature.
Ground source heat pumps aremore costly upfront , but are
excellent investments,especially if you plan on
(21:18):
building a new home. In thepast there have been government
tax incentives that help withthis cost and your local co-op
in conjunction with associatedoffer rebates on both types of
heat pumps. There are a lot oflittle things members can do to
be proactive in home energyefficiency and I encourage them
to talk with the memberservices people at their local
co-op or simply research energyefficiency tips on the
(21:41):
internet. There really are alot of great resources out
there. Mark .
Mark Viguet (21:44):
Well, Aaron , those are , uh, really some
eye-opening , uh, stats aboutheat pumps and how they can
maybe help you save money inthe long run. So , um, what
we've learned about todayreally are quick, convenient
space heating , uh, anddifferent types of space
heaters and the fact that we'vereally gotta be careful with
(22:05):
those, make sure they're ingood working order , uh, make
sure that those are usedappropriately and safely and
we've learned about somealternatives to that, some
energy efficiency steps we cantake and pull different
technologies that might be usedto help us save lots of money
over the long term . And AaronEpstein with Inner County
Electric Cooperative , thankyou for joining me today.
Aaron Epstein (22:27):
Well, mark , it's been a pleasure and I
encourage people to , um, taptheir resources and call their
member services representativesfrom their local pull ups and ,
um, they'd be happy to givesome energy efficiency to
Mark Viguet (22:41):
Absolutely. The member services representative
at your local cooperative is agreat source of information
like that you've heard todayand about lots of other
information , uh, that you maybe wondering about. So be sure
and use those folks in yourlocal cooperative when you need
them . Until next time, staywarm and stay safe.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Thanks for listening to the Power for Your Life
Podcast. To learn more aboutthis topic and other safety
efficiency and energytechnology information, contact
your local electric cooperativeor visit us on the web at
members first dot co-op. Youcan also follow us on social
(23:23):
media at facebook.com/membersfirst cooperatives
pinterest.com/members first orinstagram.com/members. First ,
if you have a question or topicyou would like us to consider
for an upcoming episode, emailus at members first , a eci.org
(23:49):
.
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