making the best of electric heat

One idea is to use infrared heat instead of heating the whole space.

But even more clever is to have the infrared heat follow you.

Super cool.

Imagine something like that on six light bulbs.  Less power, but just as much heat.   And it can heat you from all directions.  And light you from all directions.

UPDATE--I made it.  Today is spring.  I did not need to turn on the radiator once al winter long. And we had a couple of really cold nights.

It may of course become winter again in five minutes, this being New England on global weirding steroids, but I think it's safe to say I don't need fossil fuel heat in my room.

I will admit I turned the heat on one really cold night for my partner, who was leaving next morning at 4 am for a flight, when we'd stayed up too late to really have time to heat with the laptop.  

It's not a fully scientific experiment, but it's an urban experiment, and it was comfortable.  I could sleep.  Usually I haven't even needed the dinosaur laptop, just my newish mac charger (supposedly 6 watts--though I would guess it's a bit more than that, let's say 15 to be really conservative).  

Another update--now I have moved, and am looking for help with a whole new set of questions.

The building where I live is a 12-unit, brick building.  We don't "pay" for heat, the landlord does.  But it is resistance base-board heating, our old friend from chapter 1 of this thread.

The Town or maybe the State has a program that subsidizes air-source heat pumps, and the apartments' air conditioner units go right through the wall already, so it would be an easy matter to switch those out for hte air-source heat pumps.

Here are the questions in my mind:

1 --are air source heat pumps actually not going to leak yet another greenhouse or ozone-layer-depleting gas into the atmosphere that will once again be a big problem? is it a net improvement to switch?  First it was CFC's, then HCFC's were found to be problematic if I have the right labels, and now it's...is there a really solid reason to trust the current coolant substance?
1 a. --what's the energy- and toxin-footprint of creating the new coolant substance??  (links to threads or websites please).  

ETA: I found bad news about the new replacment-for-the-R22-HCFC:

"Also consider that R-410A’s global-warming potential (GWP) is 2,088, and the refrigerant management program of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) defines any refrigerant with a GWP greater than or equal to 150 as a high-GWP refrigerant."

from www.archnews.com

If there is considerable doubt about air pumps (as there is in my mind at the moment since I haven't found a relevant info source yet), I would like to try to switch to radiant heat.

I am willing to do what I did last winter, and my plants also survived, heat Joshua and not the air.  However, my partner is probably not so happy doing the leave-the-air-cold, heat-the-person thing.  I can try to get her more radiant heat sources (incandescent bulbs in places she likes to frequent), but I think I'm going to need more than that.  Like maybe conductive heated slippers?  (In her culture they say to keep your head cool and feet warm.)

--anyone have any batter-heated slippers or clothes that worked well?

Next, I don't have the extra money to pay much for these things myself.  I would like to sell the landlord on paying for them--since they (the landlord is really a management company here, I don't have a name or a face to reference) will be saving significant money with us not having our heat on.  But I don't know how much.  Under the rental agreement, the landlord must provide heat, but we don't see that bill...only the regular electric bill.  And I imagine it's probably a collective heat bill that the landlord sees rather than unit-by-unit...

--How would you go about talking to/seizing control of a landlord about this? what are the holes in my case I'm not seeing? what fears will they have (safety, cost, etc.) might I have allay?

(My tactic of last resort is going to be hardball--threaten to crank the resistance baseboard heating up to the maximum setting the thermostat will allow, open the window, and wait till they're interested in having a conversation about homesteading and permaculture...but I doubt I'll sleep better being combative than I would going with the herd-approved solution of doing the violence to the Earth and atmosphere...so I really don't want to get to this point.)

And then there's the rest of the building.  I have made some connection with the neighbors, though I wouldn't say we're on close terms yet.  I would like to get them on board with this. . .but they are all from much warmer climates than here, and my imagination is that a bunch of people from much warmer climates are going to be skeptical of a person from here telling them things about how to heat their homes...at least I would come across as insensitive.  And they are all very busy, working multiple jobs some of them to pay their rent.

3--what could make a really iron-clad request/proposal of the fellow tenants?

Do you think I could negotiate with the landlord to lower the rent if we manage to give them cooperation on the heat?

(A big challenge with this is that by the rental agreements and I think State law the heat has to be included with rent payment, we can't be billed for it separately--and so the heat can't be our responsibility, the feedback if we waste or don't waste heat doesn't come back to us, the tenants.  On the other hand, the landlord has no incentive to reimburse us for saving them money.  How do we incentivize that? "We were easy on your pocketbook this last winter, would you like to see us do that again?"

I guess my biggest hangup is the assumption that it is unlikely anyone is going to sit down with me and take the time to have a rational conversation with me--so it's a matter of selling them on having a conversation in the first seven seconds.

Sorry this is more of a politics game question than a heat question, but it follows along in the topic of making the most of electric heat--and if we manage to crack this here at my apartment building, others might follow suit.

Me: hello landlord/management company, I have question for you, why do you hate money?
landlord: what do you mean?
Me: well you're wasting about the rental cost of one unit in our 12-unit every month over the course of the winter, it's like you just want to pay Con-ed more than you want to pay yourself.  Since you're so altruistic, how'd you like to give me some of that money and put the rest toward a cleaner planet? oh, you're not altruistic? OK then, let's talk about a more efficient heating strategy.

Mark Rose wrote:One idea is to use infrared heat instead of heating the whole space.

But even more clever is to have the infrared heat follow you.

Cool gadgetry, Mark and you are quite the whiz with these units. Maybe you should approach the manufacturer with a patent [yours] that would have the "follower" be part of the unit.

Can I ask, why is your basement only at 13C? Is the basement insulated?

Are there no heat ducts that empty there? Is the system a gas/forced air heating arrangement?

Electric blankets are probably the most efficient use of electric heat to keep a person warm.

I had electricity at a job site, but did not have an electric blanket. I did have an incandescent light bulb on a cord and a small metal garbage can, made out of wire. I suspended the bulb in a manner that would prevent it from catching anyting aflame, and used it as a bed heater until I went to sleep, and again when I woke up. 60 watts for a couple hours, which is a bit less than you'd use an electric heated house.

Sometimes when I exhaust the battery from a cordless tool, rather quickly, it warms up. These can be placed under the blankets. I like to keep the charger close enough to the bed, that I can keep feeding it until all batteries are charged. Easy to find because they are the lumpy things beside me in bed. I'm sure somebody can have fun with that last statement. :-)

The charger gives off a minor amount of heat.

When I lived on solar electric in passive solar heated houses that go down to 15C (50sF) on winter nights, a hot water bottle was my essential sleep tool. Without it, I could and often did lie awake in bed for 3 or 4 hours due to cold feet. Joining a dance party with my students was the only other effective alternative, but only about once a month.

Now that I'm in a passive solar heated house with grid power (and no dance parties), an electric mattress pad is even better. It says it's only 100W or so. I turn it on a half hour before bed on chilly nights, and turn it off when I get into bed, or in the coldest season might leave it on for a while.

I did try the hot rock mentioned by somebody on the previous page. I would put a stone on the gas burner for a while, then wrap it in some wool. However since I couldn't control the temperature of the rock, I did burn the wool a few times, and once it changed the color of a stone from a drab grey with a white stripe to a pretty sunset-pink with a white stripe. Years later in my garden it still has that color.

Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote:Another update--now I have moved, and am looking for help with a whole new set of questions.

The building where I live is a 12-unit, brick building.  We don't "pay" for heat, the landlord does.  But it is resistance base-board heating, our old friend from chapter 1 of this thread.

The Town or maybe the State has a program that subsidizes air-source heat pumps, and the apartments' air conditioner units go right through the wall already, so it would be an easy matter to switch those out for hte air-source heat pumps.

Here are the questions in my mind:

1 --are air source heat pumps actually not going to leak yet another greenhouse or ozone-layer-depleting gas into the atmosphere that will once again be a big problem? is it a net improvement to switch?  First it was CFC's, then HCFC's were found to be problematic if I have the right labels, and now it's...is there a really solid reason to trust the current coolant substance?
1 a. --what's the energy- and toxin-footprint of creating the new coolant substance??  (links to threads or websites please).  

The standard refrigerant is identical in both a modern AC unit and a heat pump unit.  The only difference is that the heat pump has valves and controls that allow the heat to be pumped in either direction.  But you don't own the building, so this isn't even an option for you.

If there is considerable doubt about air pumps (as there is in my mind at the moment since I haven't found a relevant info source yet), I would like to try to switch to radiant heat.

Good idea.  If baseboard electric heat is paid for in the rent, is all electric?

I am willing to do what I did last winter, and my plants also survived, heat Joshua and not the air.  However, my partner is probably not so happy doing the leave-the-air-cold, heat-the-person thing.  I can try to get her more radiant heat sources (incandescent bulbs in places she likes to frequent), but I think I'm going to need more than that.  Like maybe conductive heated slippers?  (In her culture they say to keep your head cool and feet warm.)

What about electric floor mats?  You can get long ones for hallways, and more squarish ones for special spots such as the floor in front of your couch.  They are pretty low wattage, and can be left on for hours.

Next, I don't have the extra money to pay much for these things myself.  I would like to sell the landlord on paying for them--since they (the landlord is really a management company here, I don't have a name or a face to reference) will be saving significant money with us not having our heat on.  But I don't know how much.  Under the rental agreement, the landlord must provide heat, but we don't see that bill...only the regular electric bill.  And I imagine it's probably a collective heat bill that the landlord sees rather than unit-by-unit...

--How would you go about talking to/seizing control of a landlord about this? what are the holes in my case I'm not seeing? what fears will they have (safety, cost, etc.) might I have allay?

(My tactic of last resort is going to be hardball--threaten to crank the resistance baseboard heating up to the maximum setting the thermostat will allow, open the window, and wait till they're interested in having a conversation about homesteading and permaculture...but I doubt I'll sleep better being combative than I would going with the herd-approved solution of doing the violence to the Earth and atmosphere...so I really don't want to get to this point.)

Excessive utilities use is grounds for eviction.  Don't try this.

And then there's the rest of the building.  I have made some connection with the neighbors, though I wouldn't say we're on close terms yet.  I would like to get them on board with this. . .but they are all from much warmer climates than here, and my imagination is that a bunch of people from much warmer climates are going to be skeptical of a person from here telling them things about how to heat their homes...at least I would come across as insensitive.  And they are all very busy, working multiple jobs some of them to pay their rent.

3--what could make a really iron-clad request/proposal of the fellow tenants?

Do you think I could negotiate with the landlord to lower the rent if we manage to give them cooperation on the heat?

No, I don't. The regulations regarding shared utilities are so rigid, I don't think you have any chance at all of moving the landlord.  Probably best to work on your own comfort, while conditioning your other to the value of radiant heat. When I first got married, my wife had never used a gas stovetop, never lived in a home heated with wood, never had a heated bed, never owned a quality wool throw.  I introduced each of these luxuries to her one at a time, and she'd have a fit if I took them away now.  Now she asks me to start a fire in the woodstove when she's chilled, because the feel of radiant heat coming from the woodstove in winter cannot be compared.  The heated mattress pad alone let me drop the overnight setting on the programmable thermostat by 4 degrees; for the cost of less than one KWH per night.

Thanks, this is brilliant!  Especially the heated mattress pad.  I need to look those up, hadn't heard of them.  I'm so glad she'd throw a fit if you removed these luxuries now, this is the jackpot!

Creighton Samuels wrote:

Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote:Another update--now I have moved, and am looking for help with a whole new set of questions.

The building where I live is a 12-unit, brick building.  We don't "pay" for heat, the landlord does.  But it is resistance base-board heating, our old friend from chapter 1 of this thread.

The Town or maybe the State has a program that subsidizes air-source heat pumps, and the apartments' air conditioner units go right through the wall already, so it would be an easy matter to switch those out for hte air-source heat pumps.

Here are the questions in my mind:

1 --are air source heat pumps actually not going to leak yet another greenhouse or ozone-layer-depleting gas into the atmosphere that will once again be a big problem? is it a net improvement to switch?  First it was CFC's, then HCFC's were found to be problematic if I have the right labels, and now it's...is there a really solid reason to trust the current coolant substance?
1 a. --what's the energy- and toxin-footprint of creating the new coolant substance??  (links to threads or websites please).  

The standard refrigerant is identical in both a modern AC unit and a heat pump unit.  The only difference is that the heat pump has valves and controls that allow the heat to be pumped in either direction.  But you don't own the building, so this isn't even an option for you.

If there is considerable doubt about air pumps (as there is in my mind at the moment since I haven't found a relevant info source yet), I would like to try to switch to radiant heat.

Good idea.  If baseboard electric heat is paid for in the rent, is all electric?

I am willing to do what I did last winter, and my plants also survived, heat Joshua and not the air.  However, my partner is probably not so happy doing the leave-the-air-cold, heat-the-person thing.  I can try to get her more radiant heat sources (incandescent bulbs in places she likes to frequent), but I think I'm going to need more than that.  Like maybe conductive heated slippers?  (In her culture they say to keep your head cool and feet warm.)

What about electric floor mats?  You can get long ones for hallways, and more squarish ones for special spots such as the floor in front of your couch.  They are pretty low wattage, and can be left on for hours.

Next, I don't have the extra money to pay much for these things myself.  I would like to sell the landlord on paying for them--since they (the landlord is really a management company here, I don't have a name or a face to reference) will be saving significant money with us not having our heat on.  But I don't know how much.  Under the rental agreement, the landlord must provide heat, but we don't see that bill...only the regular electric bill.  And I imagine it's probably a collective heat bill that the landlord sees rather than unit-by-unit...

--How would you go about talking to/seizing control of a landlord about this? what are the holes in my case I'm not seeing? what fears will they have (safety, cost, etc.) might I have allay?

(My tactic of last resort is going to be hardball--threaten to crank the resistance baseboard heating up to the maximum setting the thermostat will allow, open the window, and wait till they're interested in having a conversation about homesteading and permaculture...but I doubt I'll sleep better being combative than I would going with the herd-approved solution of doing the violence to the Earth and atmosphere...so I really don't want to get to this point.)

Excessive utilities use is grounds for eviction.  Don't try this.

And then there's the rest of the building.  I have made some connection with the neighbors, though I wouldn't say we're on close terms yet.  I would like to get them on board with this. . .but they are all from much warmer climates than here, and my imagination is that a bunch of people from much warmer climates are going to be skeptical of a person from here telling them things about how to heat their homes...at least I would come across as insensitive.  And they are all very busy, working multiple jobs some of them to pay their rent.

3--what could make a really iron-clad request/proposal of the fellow tenants?

Do you think I could negotiate with the landlord to lower the rent if we manage to give them cooperation on the heat?

No, I don't. The regulations regarding shared utilities are so rigid, I don't think you have any chance at all of moving the landlord.  Probably best to work on your own comfort, while conditioning your other to the value of radiant heat. When I first got married, my wife had never used a gas stovetop, never lived in a home heated with wood, never had a heated bed, never owned a quality wool throw.  I introduced each of these luxuries to her one at a time, and she'd have a fit if I took them away now.  Now she asks me to start a fire in the woodstove when she's chilled, because the feel of radiant heat coming from the woodstove in winter cannot be compared.  The heated mattress pad alone let me drop the overnight setting on the programmable thermostat by 4 degrees; for the cost of less than one KWH per night.

PS. our electricity is not included in rent, and we have wind power PPA, so I'm comfortable using our own electricity.  The heat is on a separate circuit.
 
I do want to do something about the rest of the building...in time.

Another question--I've rather come to depend on my computer chargers for heat.  

1 they're warmer than an electric blanket.  Even after a half hour I can barely feel the electric blanket, on top setting.  Maybe it's partly broken?  with all those 100 watts going in, I'm getting very little out, compared to (it says) six watts on the mac charger and nice hand-warming potential out.

2 they're placeable and localized


But--once i move into my shiny old homesteady type situation, then the electricity will be limited and these will be not an option--unless i wnat to run our battery at night to charge the computer.

My question--isn't the charger really an inverter? so its only function is to go from AC to DC and lose a lot of energy as heat as its doing so?  In that case, if I'm on DC for all my appliances anyway (which is cell phone and computer and a few fans and lights only, maybe a few battery-powered power tools for occasional use, electric chainsaw etc.) then I don't need to invert.  So I'd just plug the 12 volt cell phone into the 12v battery, same with the computer.

What if I want to arrange a targeted heat source like the computer charger?

I'm going to assume there's no good electrical solution to this, but I'd love to hear if there is something I don't know about--for example, a place where there's already a lot of heat lost in the system of photovoltaic-battery-appliance.  The mac itself can heat up occasionally, but only in the summer.  (the dinosaur PC heats up pretty good, but that's a huge energy hog).

Best I can come up with, plug in the energy hog into the PV panel during the day, charge its battery full while the sun shines.  Then at night let that warm me up for a few minutes by sticking it under the blankets for the five minutes or so while I'm brushing my teeth and stuff.  It'll probably not last much longer than that, but it'll take the edge off.

Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote:Another question--I've rather come to depend on my computer chargers for heat.  

1 they're warmer than an electric blanket.  Even after a half hour I can barely feel the electric blanket, on top setting.  Maybe it's partly broken?  with all those 100 watts going in, I'm getting very little out, compared to (it says) six watts on the mac charger and nice hand-warming potential out.

2 they're placeable and localized

Your electric blanket is broken, and doesn't consume that 100 watts.  The First Law of Thermodynamics (The conservation of energy) prohibts the idea that an electro-resistive heat device can consume power without producing heat.

Also, that's a label rating, which is required by law to be the maximum continuous power draw that's possible, not it's actual power draw.  There's no way that a 6 wattt laptop charger could produce more useful heat than a working 100 watt max electric blanket.  That's actually a lot for a blanket.

But--once i move into my shiny old homesteady type situation, then the electricity will be limited and these will be not an option--unless i wnat to run our battery at night to charge the computer.

When you move to an off-grid homestead, you will find that the "heat bubble" concept even more effective for your purposes.  For example, the heated mattress pad will allow you to let the woodstove die down overnight without either smoldering (and stinking up your valley) nor requiring you to get up every 4 hours to add new fuelwood.  You will need some degree of overnight power for your refrigerator anyway, unless you're going to be using a propane absorption fridge.

My question--isn't the charger really an inverter?

No, an inverter goes from DC to AC.

so its only function is to go from AC to DC and lose a lot of energy as heat as its doing so?

It doesn't lose a "lot" in the big scheme of things.  It wastes almost as much power while idling as while actively charging your laptop, which is why it's considered a 'parasitic load' most of the time, and should be unplugged.

In that case, if I'm on DC for all my appliances anyway (which is cell phone and computer and a few fans and lights only, maybe a few battery-powered power tools for occasional use, electric chainsaw etc.) then I don't need to invert.  So I'd just plug the 12 volt cell phone into the 12v battery, same with the computer.

The problem is that electronics are fussy.  What you will need is a regulated DC to DC power supply that delivers both 12 volts and 5 volts.  These are available, but they are usually sold as computer power supplies for cars/RVs.

What if I want to arrange a targeted heat source like the computer charger?

A 12 volt heated blanket can be found at any "Travel Center" in America that serves professional drivers.

I'm going to assume there's no good electrical solution to this, but I'd love to hear if there is something I don't know about--for example, a place where there's already a lot of heat lost in the system of photovoltaic-battery-appliance.  The mac itself can heat up occasionally, but only in the summer.  (the dinosaur PC heats up pretty good, but that's a huge energy hog).

Oh, there are certainly good electrical solutions to this kind of problem, but they are all very specific solutions.  Search for the term "kotatsu table" on google.

Best I can come up with, plug in the energy hog into the PV panel during the day, charge its battery full while the sun shines.  Then at night let that warm me up for a few minutes by sticking it under the blankets for the five minutes or so while I'm brushing my teeth and stuff.  It'll probably not last much longer than that, but it'll take the edge off.

The heated mattress pad would work far better for this purpose.  But if you're electrically poor when that day comes, then you should learn about a "happy rock".  The happy rock is just a piece of soapstone that lives on my woodstove, and when I need a bit of concentrated warming power (that won't burn the beneficiary, nor risk a fire) I will take a wool sock, stick my hand in it, grab the (hot) soapstone, pull my hand out so that the rock in now inside the sock, twist and then push back through.  Gotta do this quick; but you are left with a hot soapstone inside two layers of wool sock.  I used to do this for my kids as toddlers during cold nights, because I didn't trust a hot water bottle not to bust or leak with how much they move around while asleep.  It lasts about an hour and isn't too hot to the touch, so you put one or two of these into your bed under your blankets while you're getting ready for bed, then just push them away or put them on the floor once your in bed.  They won't leak onto the floor nor into your bed, nor will they catch anything on fire.

Thanks, this is awesome Creighton!  

I guess the charger is not an inverter, but an anti-inverter (Ac-to DC), is its main function.  My experience is it clearly heats up only when the computer battery is drawing power (charging), and it's cold when the battery is full or not connected.

I do have a solution which is kind of risky, a metal lamp...with (sorry Paul) a CFL bulb.  It's protected from crunching by the lamp "shade" thing (metal), and it's worked for me.  Problem was it was actually a bit too hot--I forget how many watts but it was the lowest wattage we had lying around, I used this mainly just as a night light.  But even that was too hot.  I want to say 12 watts.  I looked for a smaller, lower-watt incandescent but for some reason I couldn't find what I was looking for.  It only burned a tiny hole in my sleeping bag one time, but still the metal "lampshade" would get too hot to be directly on my skin.  I would have to turn it off after a few minutes.  So I infinteily prefer the charger/anti-inverter (a "rectifier" is the technical term for this).

So, the DC-DC voltage adjuster thing won't be a heat source, I take it.  How does something change voltage in DC? i thought that was the whole point of AC, you can change voltages with a transformer...and I thought my computer and phone both ran on 12 volts.  I guess not.  Glad that there are heat blankets available to run on 12 volts already.

The soap stone trick I know, I heard of it with a brick, they teach that to kids in Vietnam that Ho Chi Minh used to take home a brick from his baking job for the night.  I look forward to getting to feel it with my own hands and put a physical experience with theory.  Thanks for the reminder.

Joshua Myrvaagnes wrote:Thanks, this is awesome Creighton!  

I guess the charger is not an inverter, but an anti-inverter (Ac-to DC), is its main function.  My experience is it clearly heats up only when the computer battery is drawing power (charging), and it's cold when the battery is full or not connected.

Are you sure that it's not a 60 watt charger? 6 watts seems low to me, closer to a phone charger.

I do have a solution which is kind of risky, a metal lamp...with (sorry Paul) a CFL bulb.  It's protected from crunching by the lamp "shade" thing (metal), and it's worked for me.  Problem was it was actually a bit too hot--I forget how many watts but it was the lowest wattage we had lying around, I used this mainly just as a night light.  But even that was too hot.  I want to say 12 watts.  I looked for a smaller, lower-watt incandescent but for some reason I couldn't find what I was looking for.

What you want is an appliance bulb.  They can be found as low as 7 watts incandescent with a normal socket (Type A15 screw socket) at Walmart. But if you're putting it next to your body like a conductive heater, you're using the incandescent lamp wrong.  This is supposed to be used like a radiant heater that produces light, which is why a 40 watt bulb works so well.  Put it into a lamp that is about a foot above your head while you are sitting down, pointed mostly where you'd want it to be able to read well.  The radiant heat will wash down over your head and shoulders, and warm you directly without contact.

So, the DC-DC voltage adjuster thing won't be a heat source, I take it.  How does something change voltage in DC? i thought that was the whole point of AC, you can change voltages with a transformer...and I thought my computer and phone both ran on 12 volts.  I guess not.  Glad that there are heat blankets available to run on 12 volts already.

DC to DC converters are solid state electronic devices, so the trick wasn't even possible in the early decades of public power; but even if it was it would have been too expensive for a DC grid to work.  That said, a DC2DC works by creating an internal AC signal by using an oscillator circuit to produce a square wave AC, then a "cascade multiplier" to increase voltage, then a rectifier circuit and a regulator circuit to output the exact voltage required.  That internal AC signal isn't correct for a 60 Hertz sine wave, so it wouldn't work as an invertor, but it's enough to allow the circuit to change the working voltage.

The soap stone trick I know, I heard of it with a brick, they teach that to kids in Vietnam that Ho Chi Minh used to take home a brick from his baking job for the night.  I look forward to getting to feel it with my own hands and put a physical experience with theory.  Thanks for the reminder.

Yes, well; soapstone is better than a brick, but you work with what you have available.

Joshua, I've just reviewed our conversation in this thread, and I have a couple recommendations...

1)  First of all, get that heated mattress pad.  Your warm cultured significant other will thank you for it, no matter how cold or warm your apartment may be.  Get one with two controllers, one for each side of the bed.  This one is not the model that I have, but it might work for you...

https://www.amazon.com/Giantex-Low-Voltage-Temperature-Detachable-Connector/dp/B07DJ1SW58/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1N94LYUO9Y4H1&keywords=electric+mattress+pad+full+size&qid=1575517356&sprefix=full+size+mattress+electri%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNE44MVY0WExHNDJRJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTA4NzMzMTMzQkdRVVVHNEhKNyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTc3NDA1Mk82RlVNMzhRRlhKMiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

2)  Next, you need a counter-top somavar, to make hot drinks on the fly.  Hot tea or hot coffee warms the body from the inside out.  This one is similar to the one that I own...

https://www.amazon.com/Costway-Electric-Spillage-stainless-Dispenser/dp/B079Z4MS5P/ref=sr_1_34?keywords=countertop+water+heater&qid=1575517531&sr=8-34

3)  Consider a kotasu table as your TV table, etc.  These are small, squarish tables that Japanese use as low desks, that have a heater underneath.  They work best with a blanket, and usually have a double top that allows the blanket to be installed under the hardtop surface.  There are low "chairs" that exist that allow you to have back support while sitting reclined with your legs under this table.  The heater only heats the airspace under the table, captured by the blanket, so your legs are very cozy; but a throw for your upper body while you watch TV, read a book or do desk work is how this system works best.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamazen-kotatsu-surface-reversible-SEU-752/dp/B07MZVD369/ref=dp_ob_title_home


But if you don't want to spend that kind of money for a table, a freestanding reading lamp would help a great deal.  This is the one that I bought for my wife, that lives behind our couch.  A 40 or 60 watt incandecent bulb works great as a radiant heater and reading light...


https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Designs-Home-LF2000-BLK-Mother-Daughter/dp/B01MFC2O83/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=free+standing+reading+lamp&qid=1575518163&sr=8-6

I've used a bed-warmer for decades. I generally turn it on for about an hour before bed and then turn it off when I get in, as I find that if the bed starts out warm, I'll be fine, but if I have to use my own body heat to warm it up, it can take an hour or more. Our climate's not particularly cold, but it tends to be damp. If I wake up cold in the night, I can always turn it on again, but that's probably only 1 night in a week or two. I've taught a few of the locals the usefulness of them, so we can't all be wrong.

I've used the hot rock trick, but I find it doesn't distribute the warmth the way a bed-warmer does. I'd need a dozen small ones rather than the couple of large ones we keep on the wood stove for a little thermal mass.

Recently, hubby bought me an electric throw blanket which now lives by my computer. If I let my feet get cold in the evening, it takes a *long* time for them to warm up, so I'm finding I'm more likely to turn the power on either first thing in the morning for a bit, or for the last 1/2 hour that I'm up at night. I've suggested he put his special meter on it so we have some idea of how much electricity I'm using, but it hasn't happened.

Heat pumps are 400 % more efficient than any induction or resistance heating .This efficiency drops if outdoor its minus 5 C but there are somme high efficient air conditioner units like Daikin wich defrost the the outdoor unit pipes periodically and these work until minus 20-25C.
One Kw of gas power( natural piped gas) its 10 times cheaper than electric where i live and even if the heat pumps( air conditioners working on heating) are soo much more efficient than electric heating,it cant still not beat the gas.

Vulturul Ilie wrote:Heat pumps are 400 % more efficient than any induction or resistance heating .This efficiency drops if outdoor its minus 5 C but there are somme high efficient air conditioner units like Daikin wich defrost the the outdoor unit pipes periodically and these work until minus 20-25C.
One Kw of gas power( natural piped gas) its 10 times cheaper than electric where i live and even if the heat pumps( air conditioners working on heating) are soo much more efficient than electric heating,it cant still not beat the gas.

Well, that's true enough depending upon your area.  But natural gas is still a paleo-fuel, and Joshua has gone to the extra trouble and expense to contract with a wind power supplier.  So his stated environmental life-goals are achieved by using electric power while also subsidizing industrial grade renewable energy.  Natural gas heat wouldn't satisfy that requirement, and nor is it typically available "off the grid".

So while a heat pump would be better than baseboard electric resistive heating, he doesn't own  the building that he lives in, so that's not an option either.

Anonymous wrote:Re: #184, replacing air with lots of solid goods. I don't know that would make any difference in the heating (or cooling) bill? The extra "stuff" would still have to have its temperature maintained, by absorbing or emitting heat from/into the air.   What more solid stuff would do though is moderate the temperature swings by providing thermal mass.
Having lights for summer (CFL) and lights for winter (incandescent) would make sense in an all electric home. Better stock up on the incandescents while you can.

.

Adding any kind of mass to the interior, can help. But why waste the space & crowd your life? What about hanging “quilts” or insulation panels to cover the interior walls, to add seasonal insulation?
What about using a ceiling fan or the like, on low, to help move the warm air down from ceiling? (Not on high/fast, because that chills the air). Or the small 6” fans, on low-speed, put up high on a shelf?

And..arcane electronics...
CFL & LED bulbs, probably everywhere except Dubai, are wired to use more energy than they need; some by almost double.
  (Dubai has a special, exclusive deal with Phillips co., to make VERY efficiently wired LED bulbs, cannot export anywhere else).
CFLs & Most LEDs worldwide, are also wired to opt for digital surveillance/data gathering.  
BUT...IF those deliberately wired inefficiencies are run off battery box/inverter, they seem to draw less energy when on (informally observed from our power bills); that also blocks utility companies “seeing” what’s running, because their system only sees a battery being recharged from one outlet. One battery box can run lots of lights.

I read an article by a gal in Montana who uses Point-of-use warmers, like heating pads, & small warmers on her desk, for instance.  Successfully saves on feeding the wood stove, & less effort. She has big windows for light, & insulates those well. Her house is a modest rural cabin.
But at some point, it becomes too much privation.
Alternatively, a homeless guy who lived in a derelict van on someone’s property, collected piles of old magazines to stack up the walls inside the van. It greatly reduced interior usable space though it really did improve insulation.  He only had an extension cord run from the property owner’s house to run a lightbulb.  He hung curtains across the windows which helped privacy & insulated some. But he always had to keep bundled-up in there, in winter.

IF one resorts to piling more stuff inside the house, perhaps a more compact form could do better, & not take up so much space:  recycled & stacked/glued multi-layer cardboard panels.  
Cardboard is ubiquitous, & freely gotten.  Must use a heavy borax water solution to pre-treat the cardboard (prevents bugs, is fire retardant & low toxicity).  
When treated cardboard is all dry (do it in summer!), assemble & glue about 4 or more layers together to make panels configured as you like.
Then mount on the indoors side of your exterior walls.  That makes great insulation.  Or buy R10 or better foam panels to mount.  The R13 foam panels @ Home Depot have foil facing..a bonus!   Panels can be decorated as you like.

Here’s what we have done for 20 years, with great success:
rented 100 year old, upgraded to Code, 850 s.f. House, in SW WA State; all-electric:
Bought one $40 “oil-filled” radiator heater. It gives radiant & convection heat.
Placed in central hallway that opened to all rooms, close to a wall, but shielded between heater & wall with simple layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.
That allows heat to move throughout the house, as long as doors to rooms are open, without damaging the wall it’s close to.
BTUs paid for, absorb into the interior mass of the house, creating an even heat with less run-time, and less fluctuation in overall interior temp when doors are opened.
The rheostat can be adjusted as needed (some user interaction is required in this arrangement—but that can be automated by plugging the heater to an external thermostat positioned several feet away—we’ve done this, too).
The controls are mechanical, not digital, to allow only drawing 600 watts when running.
We eventually got an external thermostat to plug it to, with a remote sensor—works better than the onboard thermostat. To do that, set it to only run on 600 watts, but turn the rheostat to high. Then set the external thermostat to the temp you want. Voila’!
The digital models will almost all revert to their higher wattage option when they kick-on.
This arrangement routinely saved about $50 off the worst winter heat bills...that is, our worst winter electric bill there was about $150; this arrangement cut that down to about $100.
We tend to keep indoor temps between high 50s to low 60s during winter here to save on power bills.

The windows get more insulation by mounting Twinwall polycarbonate greenhouse panels, well-sealed around edges, with as much airspace between the glass & the panels as you can make it (ours makes a 3” air gap btwn glass & panel)....can fasten inside or outside. That lets in light, & reduces heat loss in winter & heat gain in summer.  It’s removable, easily cleaned between. It can be done in rentals.   In rentals, I used a removable putty-type no VOC caulk strip to make a good air-seal and mounted them indoors.
The wall at the head of our bed is poorly insulated 2x4 frame, so I put a big sheet of Reflectix on that wall area, which radiates room warmth back at us, & helps block some of that cold. This material could be sandwiched between layers of decorative cloth to look nice, & is easily removed from rentals.

Alternatively, at other house we bought, we removed the big baseboard heaters (2500 watts apiece), and replaced them with 750 watt baseboard units.  Also replaced a couple of room thermostats with ones that at least temp numbers on them. Other rooms have a nice time/temp unit mounted near the room thermostats, to give a better user-feedback to adjust settings.
Then, stacked a row or two of bricks along the tops of those heaters (ours have flat tops).
That limits how much power can be sucked from the grid when on. The bricks retain BTU’s about as well as the oil-filled radiators, or better. If there’s more space, you could feasibly stack more bricks nearby (avoid suffocating the heater!).

I don’t think You can achieve, with equivalent wattage of lightbulbs, what a point-of-use concentrated source can; you are saving more by using the little heat pads, for instance.
The lightbulbs will definitely create a lot of light, but only warm the area in the vicinity of each bulb.  
Unless you live in an area with dark winter days, the cost:benefit ratio starts failing efficiency.
So, more factors need considered, to choose what arrangement works best for you.  
Must consider not only saving watts, but actual conditions of weather & house, & what experiments show on your power bills—what works countably well at one place, Might fizzle at another).  
Understand, fans blowing air will always cause loss of BTU’s...some, like in central HVACs, lose around 70% of the BTUs users pay to make, just blowing it through ducts.  
Radiated heat is the most desired, most highly sensed by humans, & happens immediately one is near a source.
Passive Convection is the next best sensed, but is lazier at convecting around a space—must be patient for warmth to reach optimal convection, or, keep it on a steady thermostat. .
BTUs stored an a masonry bench near a baseboard heater or an oil filled radiator, will also deliver some radiant & convected heat, longer than the heater is on, smoothing-out the highs & lows of indoor temp.   South-facing windows can help heat, too...whole ‘nuther project (we’ve benefitted from window-mounted, passive solar heaters made in various ways—ok in rentals, depending on housing rules for window treatments).

Gotta be passionate about saving energy, & enjoy experimenting! These kinds of systems require some user-interactions, some more than others. And patience & attention to details & some data gathering.

Thank you to Paul, and everyone else who added ideas to this thread!!!

I have spent considerable time reading through this entire thread, and there is so much GOOD information and ideas I think it needs a bump, and perhaps something that collects most of the discussed products in one, updated place so they are easier to source.

Dog Bed Warmers/Heaters:  these are hard plastic or soft vinyl pads that come in multiple sizes from 9x11 inches to 30+ inches in length, and multiple widths.  The ones I have used for well over ten years are by K&H Manufacturing, and go by multiple 'names' from chick warmers to cat warmers to small animal warmers.  They are not cheap, but seem to last forever (ten years so far, and going strong - I have dozens of them for the animals and they run 24/7, 365), based on my experience.  The use minimal energy (some less than 4 watts, the highest/largest is 80 watts) and the vinyl ones can (we placed them on our easy chairs used at night) easily be adapted as a couch, chair, butt, or bed warmer, depending on size.  

Not sure if these are the same one Paul was using, but it looked very similar to the hard black ones this manufacturer makes, that I use, daily, and can attest to their longevity.
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=k%26h+heating+pad&rh=n%3A6205514011%2Cp_89%3AK%26H+PET+PRODUCTS&dc&crid=1L8BAXDDEAE4Y&qid=1641946700&rnid=7590290011&sprefix=K%26H%2Caps%2C396&ref=sr_nr_p_89_1

Heated Seed Mats:  used for germinating seeds, but....
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated+seed+mat&crid=22OCIKZYOIRWD&sprefix=heated+seed+mat%2Caps%2C332&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_15

Heated blanket for bed:  I highly recommend getting one with two controllers (one for each side) if you share a bed, nothing worse than you 'baking' whilst your partner 'freezes'.  

I also recommend getting at least one size larger - get a king sized blanket if you have a queen or double bed - and do the same with all top sheets/blankets, this ensures there are no gaps letting cold air rush in making life uncomfortable or waking you up when someone rolls over or gets up.  Only keep a thin flat sheet between you and the electric blanket - this keeps the blanket from needing frequent washings, but does not restrict the heat transfer.  

The more insulated layers ON TOP of the electric blanket, the more efficient and toasty it will be; adding a down filled, wool or polar fleece blankets can easily turn a not quite warm enough bed to one that is toasty on a much lower setting as all the heat is directed into the bed.

Heated Mattress Pad:  Have one, not installed it...worried that laying on the wires would degrade them or they would 'feel' yucky...but the same theory of extra insulation via blankets would apply.

Heated Throws:  loved them, until the cord died in just a few months from being moved/twisted all the time.  Not happy with the lack of longevity - my electric blankets have lasted decades.  Next time I will see if there are rechargeable ones that do not need to be plugged in all the time, that actually have decent reviews.
*** I see no point posting links on the above heated blankets, pads or throws, as they are available everywhere.  

Reptile Heat Lamps: one must ensure these bulbs are be fitted to an appropriate wattage bulb base that is rated correctly for the size of bulb purchased, some are as low as 50 watts, others triple or more; most home sockets can only handle 40 to 60 watts, some 100, most cannot handle 150.  Some even have thermostats, many are non-light emitting, so Paul could warm his face without being blinded!

Bulbs: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=reptile+ceramic+heat+lamps&crid=RGXMBBN94R7D&sprefix=reptile+ceramic+heat+lamps%2Caps%2C296&ref=bnav_search_go

Specialized Heat Lamp enclosures: appropriately designed for withstanding the heat/wattage these bulbs can put out.  https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=reptile+heat+lamp+dome&rh=n%3A6292566011&dc&crid=23NQD392J2VXH&qid=1641948171&rnid=5264023011&sprefix=reptile+heat+lamp+dome%2Caps%2C312&ref=sr_nr_n_1

Thermostatic controlled outlets/receptacles:  these can be super handy for ensuring items are only turned on when heat is required to prevent freezing.
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=thermostatic+controlled+outlets+and+receptacle+on+off&dc&crid=286PI7SFDIRHT&sprefix=thermostatic+controlled+outlets+and+receptacles%2Caps%2C266&ref=a9_sc_1

Heat Tape for pipes:  this can be far more effective and cheaper in the long run than heating pipes.
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated+tape+for+pipes&crid=2EJOFNXPL98UA&sprefix=heated+tape%2Caps%2C264&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_11

Plug in, Oil Filled Radiator: these are my personal favorite "space heaters" as they are incredibly safe and efficient.  Most have the option of using them at 500, 1000, or 1,500 watts, come with timers and emergency settings that cause them to automatically turn on to prevent freezing.  I found them super safe to operate, and they double brilliantly as towel warmers, I used them in the bathroom when I lived with no heat for over ten years.  One thing I would not compromise on was cold showers/toilet trips, plus had to make sure the pipes did not freeze.  
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=oil+filled+radiator+heater&crid=3BSJO14ILPLF2&sprefix=oil+%2Caps%2C272&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_4

Kotatsu Table: Lots of references to this in the thread, likely one could "make" their own, but thought access to the actual items might make it easier to source materials and designs.
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated+table&crid=15TVJHCSNBDWM&sprefix=heated+table%2Caps%2C254&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_12

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=kotatsu+table+with+heater&crid=1RJFTK4KV6PB5&sprefix=kotatsu%2Caps%2C463&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_5_7

Heated Mouse: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated+mouse&crid=2JS3HJ98FJEEN&sprefix=heated+mouse%2Caps%2C374&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_12

https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated+mouse&rh=n%3A680462011&dc&crid=2JS3HJ98FJEEN&qid=1641949205&rnid=5264023011&sprefix=heated+mouse%2Caps%2C374&ref=sr_nr_n_3

Heated keyboard:  I have not included a link as there seem to be very few around.  There is an actual heater for the keyboard: https://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/ca/infrared-keyboard-hand-warmer/  but it seems most options are for an actual pad for the entire surface needed for the keyboard AND mouse.

Heated keyboard mat/mouse pad:  https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated+keyboard+mat+for+desk&crid=3CF6DWUYF4U3C&sprefix=heated+keyboard+mat%2Caps%2C274&ref=nb_sb_ss_midas-iss-hred_2_19

Heated keyboard gloves: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated+keyboard+gloves&crid=1L0DX7YZ2KHFA&sprefix=heated+keyboard%2Caps%2C278&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_15

Heated Clothing: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=heated&ref=bnav_search_go

I would like to briefly address backups, as when the grid fails (Storms) those of us who rely on electricity, and without a generator can get cold awfully fast.  We should all have an alternative, emergency heat source, safe, certified for inside use, fuel heater.  

The Buddy line is well known https://www.amazon.ca/Mr-Heater-F274865-Portable-Massachusetts/dp/B005EEYBI4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Buddy+heater&qid=1641949590&sr=8-3

I, personally, prefer and use the Heatmate that uses kerosene.  Yes, is certified and intended for indoor use, and we have a CO detector that has never registered anything (except when the door was left open to the deck and someone was running the 5hp generator for the fridge/freezers).  We relied on it for over 6 weeks (Nov/Dec) after we lost power due to a fire.  Easily kept our living room/kitchen toasty, where it was located, and the bedrooms and bathrooms farther down were easily kept above 50F - total house is 1500sq ft. It was quite economical, each fill of the 1.2 gallon tank is supposedly good for 14 hours, but on low, or only used for a bit, it would last for several days, easily.  We can raise or lower temperature, by adjusting flame height, and frankly, only ran it about 8 hours a day, or it got too hot in the house (we usually in the 50-65F range indoors), oh and the dogs LOVED it.  Outside temps would have been in the 30's F.
https://www.amazon.ca/HMN-110-Radiant-Kerosene-Heater-10000/dp/B002JPRKYI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=39X7XTX6RYLU3&keywords=heatmate&qid=1641949663&sprefix=heatmate%2Caps%2C299&sr=8-2

***I have used Amazon for convenience of displaying the products and the variety available, in no way am I promoting or suggesting you purchase from Amazon - only that it is handy for research purposes.