Students running out to buy space heaters to survive the winter may want to reconsider the purchase.
Many think using a space heater in your room is a cheap solution to getting warm and saving money.
But Amy Marty, a corporate communications staff member at Gainesville Regional Utilities, said space heaters actually use more energy and waste more electricity than some would imagine.
The little electricity-sucking heaters are easy to find around Gainesville. Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot are just a few of the stores that supply them.
These locations offer space heaters with prices ranging anywhere from $29.99 up to $269.
At first glance, the choice seems obvious considering a central heating system can easily cost a person a couple grand for the initial installation and monthly energy bills can skyrocket during the winter.
But Marty said space heaters are not a good choice to save electricity and that GRU, if needed, can help a person by assessing their energy usage.
GRU will conduct a free home energy audit, Marty said. Representatives from the company will come to a customer’s house and check his or her energy and water usage to determine how to save money. One 1,500-watt space heater running for a month in an average 12-by-12 room for only six hours a day would cost a person around $40.
Marianne Silva, 20, is a UF student who uses a space heater in her bedroom.
“I turn it on before I go to sleep and leave it on all night,” Silva said. “When I wake up in the morning, I even sometimes forget to turn it off before I leave for class.”
Marty said that leveling the thermostat at 68 degrees can be a huge help to save money.
“If you raise the temperature by only one degree, it will increase your bill by 4 percent,” Marty said.
She said improving energy-efficiency habits when the seasons change can make a huge difference in a user’s electric bill.
“If just using an extra blanket can save me all this money, consider the task done,” Silva said.
Editor's note: The original article incorrectly said Amy Marty is the corporate communications director at GRU. Marty is a staff member.
