A Space Heater Is a Space Heater

You've probably seen the ads for some sort of Amish heater that promises to make your heating bills drop dramatically, and that comes with a wooden mantel to make it look nicer as you roll it around from room to room. I didn't know quite what to make of them myself, although I haven't thought about it much. I just figured, whenever somebody pushes something the way these are being pushed, it's probably a crock.

Thanks to the Star Tribune's Fixit column by Karen Youso on Oct. 19, now I know my suspicions were correct.

Youso writes,

The approach might lower your gas bill, but your electric bill will go up. The manufacturer claims that the Heat Surge heater uses as much electricity as a coffee pot. Of course, coffee pots can use a significant amount of electricity, but they do so for only a few minutes.

She says the claim that the heaters are based on a technological breakthrough is patently untrue. And to top it off,

You can buy a plain space heater for about $100 (much less than the $249 listed on the Heat Surge website for its bare-bones model without mantel) or a decorative electric fireplace heater for about $450 (compared with $547 for the lowest-priced Heat Surge fireplace). And by buying locally, you save the expense of shipping.

Thanks, Karen! Glad you didn't take the buyout.