You have a lot of options when adding heat to a cold room or new addition. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages but when it comes down to it, electric heat is a great option for most homes. We think there are three main reasons why you should consider electric heat: It's easy to install, it's cost-effective, and it's efficient.
Electric heat is easy to install
If you're adding heat to your home, electric heaters are usually the easiest option. Adding ducts to a HVAC system can disrupt the way the furnace was designed to push air through the home. If you have one or two rooms that could use a little heat boost, you can install electric baseboard or wall heaters to supplement central heat. They operate independently and don't require any modifications to that system. A lot of times people who have a forced air systems will close off vents in rooms that they aren't using. That can cause put a strain on your furnace.
A cost-effective way to heat your home
Electric heat is also less expensive to buy than most other heating options and has lower installation costs. That leads to a huge savings potential when adding heat to a room. Ductwork is expensive to install and difficult to modify, according to an article about baseboard heat on BobVila.com. The Department of Energy says that electric heat equipment usually costs less than the alternatives. The heaters are highly efficient but can be expensive to operate, depending on your local power rates. While electric rates can be high in some parts of the country, how you use your heaters can lead to big energy savings.
Efficient heating option
Electric heat is 100 percent efficient. That means that all of the power you put into the system is turned into heat. Natural gas and other combustion heating systems don't offer that kind of efficiency and tend to decrease in efficiency as they age. Electric heat doesn't. Having a heater in each room in your home allows you to independently control temperatures, rather than have your entire house heated when you may only be using one or two rooms at a time. HVAC is like having one light switch for the entire house. Why pay to heat your living or dining room when you only use them on special occasions? If you combine electric heaters with a central system, you can set your central thermostat to a lower temperature and turn up electric heaters in individual rooms when you are using them. That way you get the best of both worlds. Energy savings and comfort. At the end of the day, electric heat can be a very cost-effective, efficient and comfortable heating solution for a cold room, new addition or refinished basement. It won't necessarily replace your central air system, but it can be a great combination with it. If you're interested in learning more about our electric heaters, we suggest you start by learning about the differences between baseboard and wall heaters.
