Space heater vs furnace cost

Compare the entered running cost of a portable electric heater with a gas furnace. The result shows hourly and weekly costs for the hours you choose. The two options need your own heat and power figures; room size alone does not set their demand.

Enter the heater's electrical watts and heating-on share. The share allows for times its thermostat switches it off. If the watts already show measured average power, use 100% to avoid reducing the same consumption twice. Enter useful furnace heat separately in kW, using an installer assessment for the area being compared.

Choose either your bill's electricity price or confirmed Quebec standard Rate D. For gas, use the combined charges that change with each cubic metre consumed. Select the stored NRCan gas energy value or the matching energy content from your bill. Keep the heating area and operating schedule clear when reading the difference.

Space heater input per hour = watts ÷ 1000 × heating-on share. Furnace gas m³ per hour = entered useful heating kW ÷ seasonal efficiency ÷ gas kWh per m³. Multiply each by its variable price and the entered daily hours; a week has seven days.

Convert percentage inputs once: 50% becomes 0.5 in the calculation. Useful furnace heat is heat reaching the space. Divide it by seasonal efficiency to find fuel input, then by the energy in each cubic metre to find gas volume. Gas energy in MJ per m³ is converted to kWh per m³ before use.

Quebec standard Rate D uses 40 kWh per billing day at the first price and the remainder at the second. Heating cost is the electricity line with heating minus the same line without it; daily access cancels. The comparison repeats the entered daily household and heating profile for the chosen schedule.

These illustrative inputs are separate from your saved answers. Prices, use and performance are held constant for this worked scenario; they are not personal defaults.

A space heater and a furnace may heat different areas. The calculation does not turn a room heater's watts into a whole-house heat demand. A lower running cost alone does not show that both options provide the same comfort, temperature or protection for the building.

Use the same hours each day for the comparison. The weekly total repeats that daily schedule for seven days. It is not a prediction of a particular winter week. Money is rounded for display after the calculation, keeping full precision in the totals.

For Quebec, confirm both the tariff and the representative household-use profile requested by the form. Repeating one billing period can miss seasonal changes. Daily fixed charges cancel only because the calculation compares the same account with and without the extra heating electricity.

Canadian gas energy content and prices vary by supplier. Use your bill's matching units and include applicable usage charges and tax. Do not divide a whole bill by its gas volume if that would include fixed fees that remain unchanged.

The Quebec option uses the stored standard Rate D period shown with its source. It does not cover every special rate or customer situation. Use your complete bill unit price when you cannot confirm the published tariff applies.

Ask a qualified heating contractor to estimate useful furnace heat for the space and check seasonal efficiency. Bring gas and electricity bills that cover the same period. Ask which fees remain if you use less furnace heating.

Follow the portable heater's instructions and keep it clear of combustible materials. Have furnace changes checked by a qualified contractor. This cost estimate cannot confirm electrical capacity, ventilation, installation safety or a suitable whole-house heating plan.