Turn Gas Furnace On vs Electric Ceramic Heaters in Rooms Used?

Robert O'Brien

This is my first time using this. I look through a lot of the previously asked questions but couldn't find the answer. I have an old gas furnace / forced air in an old and poorly insulated house. Rather than turn it on, I have been using 4 electric ceramic heaters in the rooms that are used. I plan to turn the furnace on when it gets into the 30's. Now we are in the low 60's / high 50's during the day and the low 50's / low 40's at night. The 3 bedrooms are kept at 70 when we are home and 60 when not. The living room is kept at 65 when home and 60 when not. (I can't turn them lower without turning them off.) Am I saving money by doing this or am I being crazy?

Jamie Hall

Well, it depends

We don't do a lot of scorched air around here, Ja, but just so you won't think we're ignoring you...

Whether you are saving money or not depends on your electric rates and, to a certain extent, how well you can control which rooms get heat from your old furnace. There may be some dampers on the air ducts or registers which let you shut off certain areas -- in which case, unless you're electricity is really cheap, you may be better off running the furnace.

On the other hand... if the furnace is really old, you may not be! Hard to say.

What one can say is that tightening up the house -- fixing air leaks, putting storm windows on if you don't have them, insulating where you can -- that sort of thing -- will save you money and make you a lot more comfortable.

And one last thought: be careful of those electric heaters: they can set stuff on fire. Nothing -- but nothing -- flammable within at least 3 feet in any direction except the floor they sit on.