Energy Efficient Heaters

If your heat pump, air conditioner, furnace or boiler is more than 12 years old, or if your energy bills are too high and your heating/cooling heaters are demanding frequent repairs, that means that your equipment is too old and that it's time to replace it with a new efficient system.

When to Avoid Electric heaters

Similarly, if your heater is an electric one, your climate is cold and your heating needs aren't restricted to just some days during the year, consider other fuel source; heaters using fuels as pellets, or even wood and gas…

Or consider more radical solutions: high levels of home insulation, radiant heating, or environmental choices like solar and geothermal heat pumps.

insulation is Critical to get Savings and smaller heaters

Before buying a new energy-efficient heater regard issues like insulation, air sealing and the efficiency of your windows and doors. Unless you use this wider approach, you will not get the savings you may expect.

It’s foolish to invest in an efficient heating system only to allow much of the heat to escape outdoors. Before investing in a new heating system you should take a close look to your insulation and to your windows and doors. That will determine your heating system size, costs and options.

Only combining insulation, weather-stripping and efficient windows with proper equipment maintenance, thermostats and high efficient heaters, you will cut your energy bills significantly (savings between 20% and 50% are possible and even common).

See:

Basics on Insulation
Windows and Doors Basics
Weather-stripping windows and doors,
Caulking windows and doors

Low and Mid-efficient heaters

Prefer always high efficient heaters. They can be more expensive, but their extra cost will be quickly paid by energy savings.

Prefer high efficient modern gas and oil stoves or modern fireplace inserts, or high-efficient condensing furnaces (with an Annual Fuel Energy Efficiency above 90%) or modern high efficiency or condensing boilers or pellet wood boilers. You will easily recover your extra initial investment.

High Efficient Qualified Heaters

Take national and international official energy efficiency standards for heating and cooling units into account.

Also prefer UL, NEMA, HRAI/Canada, or Energy Star and European Eco-Label certified heating units. They incorporate international minimum efficiency standards. Look for their labels to account for their relative efficiency.