What Is Cheaper To Do.. Use An Electric Blanket Or Turn Up The Thermostat And Use The Oil To Heat Up The House?

We are trying to save money this winter and I was wondering if it would be cheaper if we turn down the thermostat at night and used electric heating blankets in bed to stay warm or should we just turn up the thermostat and warm up the entire house and not use electric blankets? (We have oil for heat) Which way would save us the most money?

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Heat Doesn’t Just Keep You Warm, It Provides Health Benefits Too!

When you think of heat you might think of the cozy feeling you experience underneath blankets, but what about the effect of heat on your bodyâ??s health? What kind of difference can heat make for those of us with diabetes experiencing poor blood flow?  What about those of us undergoing chemotherapy treatments?  What about those of us experiencing daily stress? Many flexible heating elements may aid in tissue function, help release cell toxins, increase blood flow and help enhance the effectiveness of disease treatments.

It is already common practice to use heat for pain relief in patients with arthritis and other muscle and joint problems. Products, such as medical heated chairs and blanket warmers, are becoming common therapy tools in hospitals, treatment centers, physical therapy offices and more. They work well to compliment many existing treatments that require patients to sit still for prolonged periods of time or treatments that require medication via intravenous (I.V.) fluids.

Today doctors have been recommending the use of heat treatment to achieve a variety of goals including increasing blood flow and releasing cell toxins. This treatment also aids in tissue function, helping your body recover from day-to-day and extraneous stresses. Heat therapies are also used to promote relaxation and relieve pain so often electric blanket warmer bags are used to heat blankets for use in recovery rooms to keep patients warm after surgery.

Because heat works to increase blood flow and oxygen supply to cells, there is exciting new research being done to take a closer look at its effects. In fact early research has suggested the use of heat during treatments such as radiation, dialysis or chemotherapy may actually help increase the effectiveness of the treatments.

The benefits of heat for diabetics are also plentiful. Because blood flow is a chronic issue, particularly in extremities, medical-grade blanket warmers can be used to heat up patient blankets which when used can vasodilate, or open veins, allowing blood better flow.

Cancer patients are often subjected to uncomfortable chemotherapy treatments and because medical-grade heated chairs aid blood flow, some research suggests treatment may be aided. In addition, heatâ??s calming effect offers some pain relief during these long treatments.  Also, the I.V. fluid that is being injected is often at room temperature 68°-70°F compared to a typical normal body temperature of 98.3°F keeping patients warm and comfortable.

Imagine what this simple treatment can do for stress! The consumer market is saturated with heated products from in-home heated blankets, to heated vehicle seats and more. Quality products in this market can offer similar pain relief and allow sore muscles to unwind. Consumers seeking ways to improve their health and feel better can turn first to heat therapy instead of the medicine counter.

What’s the Best Way to Heat My Home?

The upside of heating your home in America is that there is a dazzling array of different fuels available to make sure you don’t have to rely on blanket upon blanket during those long nights of bone chilling temperatures. Like so many other elements of life where choice is plentiful, however, the variety of home heating fuels can often inflict vertigo when it comes to deciding which heating fuel is the most efficient and inexpensive on the market. The choice becomes even more painful when it is revealed that each fuel has certain pros and cons.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is a natural choice for many homeowners, especially in the Northeast where it has been estimated that at least half the homes are heated by this particular fuel. There are many reasons why natural gas is preferred in a part of the country where the cold can almost be described as mean. The primary benefit comes with the efficiency of natural gas. Another big benefit is that natural gas can reach the home through lines rather than having to be stored on the grounds like propane. And users can use the power generated by natural gas to take warm showers and dry wet clothes. The cons of natural gas are literally explosive. Natural gas explosions in homes are not common but are not unheard of. More important for most homeowners is that natural gas comes with a monthly surcharge that is utterly independent of actual usage.

Electricity

Anyone who has ever had to clean out a dirty chimney can tell you right away one of the pros of this kind of power to heat a room. Electricity, which is the most common heat source in the southern U.S., is cleaner and safer than gas or oil. The ventilation and duct system is easier and cheaper to install and maintain than gas lines or oil tanks. It is even easier to control the temperature setting for individual rooms by adjusting the vents. Sounds pretty good, right? The problem is that electricity is not as efficient for heating a home as it is for cooling it, which is probably why you will find electricity used more in warmer climates than cold climates.

Oil

Heating a home with oil is almost as efficient as using natural gas and far more efficient than using electricity. Oil trumps gas because it is far less likely to explode and leave the house in a state of charred cinders than natural gas; it doesn’t introduce a carbon monoxide danger like with natural gas; and oil doesn’t necessitate a monthly charge like natural gas. So why do so many people prefer natural gas to home heating oil? One big disadvantage to using oil to stay warm is that oil must be stored on the premises. Among the other considerable cons that keep oil from being the king of heating fuels are the very high danger of ground water contamination and the potential for high temperature exhaust. The smell of oil may also be a consideration for some people.

Heat Pump

A heat pump, like electricity, is a much cleaner animal to deal with than natural gas, oil or any kind of fireplace. Unlike a standard electrical heating system, however, the heat pump is more efficient for heating purposes even though heat pumps are designed for more temperate climates. The reason is also the biggest drawback to the heat pump’s design. The lower the temperature falls outside the home, the less efficient the heat pump becomes. In fact, at roughly forty degrees, the heat pump begins to switch over to a backup program that is more akin to a standard electricity unit, ensuring that a heat pump is basically the home heating unit of last resort for bitterly cold climates.