When
you're shopping for energy efficient heaters, it's easy to make mistakes
regarding efficiency. For example, you might think it is less expensive
to operate a space heater and a large room rather than use your baseboard
heating a large room because a space heater is smaller. However, baseboard
heating is generally more efficient, so using it will likely save
you money
Consumers also wonder whether it's best to have energy efficient
heaters for each room rather than central heat. Although central heat
can seem more convenient and efficient, it is not because it sends
heat to rooms that might be unoccupied.
When shopping for energy efficient heaters, ask your contractor to
give you a selection of models to choose from along with fact sheets
to help you compare energy usage. Look for a high Annual Fuel Utilization
Efficiency (AFUE) rating. The national minimum is 78%, but Energy
Star models can exceed 90% AFUE.