# Most Efficent Home Heating Strategy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649 "2005-10-10T23:18:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/21 "2013-12-18T16:46:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Isilder** : > > Electricity is good for green house gas perspective, > > - reverse cycle air conditioning can save on the CO2 produced,and the energy bill, > by sucking energy in from the outside air, a few Joules per Joule… > - electricity can come from renewable sources. (No CO2 produced) It’s not necessarily that simple. If your electricity comes primarily from renewable sources such as hydro, then it’s definitely true that electric heat is more carbon-friendly than fossil-fuel heat. But if your electricity comes from a fossil fuel source, then there’s the complication that the power plant is losing some of the energy of the fuel as waste heat, but heat produced from burning in your furnace isn’t wasted: This could tip the scales to favor an in-house furnace. Or maybe the power plant is a cogeneration plant, and also makes some use of the waste heat. And then there’s the matter that not all fossil fuels are equal for CO2 production: Most modern fossil-fuel furnaces burn methane, the cleanest of the fossil fuels, while most power plants burn coal, the dirtiest. In short, which form of home heating is greener depends both on the sorts of power plants used locally, and on the local temperatures. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/22 "2013-12-18T17:01:02Z")
I had some neighbors who just wore more coats, I don’t think they ever turned on the heater. They saved a lot of money. ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/23 "2013-12-19T18:39:39Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > Given that it’s been proven multiple times on this Board over the years that turning off the heat and then turning it back on when you’re home does in fact save energy, what are you basing this assertion on? But it can be VERY co$tly when pipes freeze and water damages anything and everything!! Penny wise, pound fooli$h. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/24 "2013-12-19T18:47:14Z")
> [@HipGnosis](#): > > But it can be VERY co$tly when pipes freeze and water damages anything and everything!! > > Penny wise, pound fooli$h. It’s a given that you keep the heat on at a level to prevent pipes from freezing if that’s a danger, but beyond that dropping the heat way down when no one is home is the clear winner. ---
**Author:** ![HipGnosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/76d3ee/32.png) [@HipGnosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HipGnosis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/25 "2013-12-19T19:02:08Z")
First step is to conserve your warmth; Plastic over windows. And curtains - the heavier the better. Removable caulk. Around outlets and switches on exterior walls too. Close off any un-used rooms (I, personally, USE my bathroom and it’s the room I REALLY want warmest). Yes, get a programmable thermostat. Note (or take pics) of what wires are connected BEFORE you disconnect the current one. Do NOT plan on moving a space heater multiple times every day. Get an electric mattress pad. Then re-program your thermostat even lower at night ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/26 "2013-12-19T19:02:44Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It’s a given that you keep the heat on at a level to prevent pipes from freezing if that’s a danger, but beyond that dropping the heat way down when no one is home is the clear winner. **Shirley Ujest** did say “ **Don’t even think about Turning off** and then warming it up when you get back. It is fuellish.” That said, when I read through the thread I thought she was joking with that sentence. Not really sure, though, and she never returned. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/27 "2013-12-19T19:08:45Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Incidentally I installed a wood stove in my basement at the tail end of last winter and am amazed that my furnace has only a cumulative run time of one hour on it thus far this heating season (Ottawa). And I’ve only burned maybe 15 pieces of wood. I don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you saying you live in Canada where the average November temperature is about 28 at night and 41 during the day, and and you’ve only burned 15 pieces (normal sized pieces??) of wood this fall and your furnace has only run an hour? Do you have your thermostat on 40? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/28 "2013-12-19T19:24:23Z")
Has anyone noticed this thread is 8 years old and some of the posters being responded to may not be here or may not remember what their old post was talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/29 "2013-12-19T19:41:20Z")
Oh, sure it’s an old thread, but thermodynamics hasn’t changed much in the last 8 years. One thing to note is that heat pumps have become more common, especially in moderate climates. While a heat pump can operate at apparent efficiencies much greater than 100% because it doesn’t create energy but moves it around, most of them kick on electric resistance heating with a maximum efficiency of 100% if the delta T between setpoint and room temperature exceeds a limit. When I raise my thermostat I have to sneak up on it in increments, or the heat strips kick on, and you should see the meter whirl then. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/30 "2013-12-19T19:43:36Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Has anyone noticed this thread is 8 years old and some of the posters being responded to may not be here or may not remember what their old post was talking about? :smack: No. This board seriously needs to lock topics that haven’t had a post a certain amount of time, maybe 60 or 90 days. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649/31 "2013-12-19T19:46:13Z")
This is the first year in the six years I’ve been in my house that the radiators haven’t made a bunch of racket pretty much constantly. As a matter of fact, I’ve hardly heard a peep out of them. I don’t know what’s different, but I hope it continues. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-efficent-home-heating-strategy/325649.md?page=1)