Combustion vs. Electric space heaters Basics

Electric heaters (oil filled, ceramic, fan heaters, etc.) have some advantages but also some limitations over combustion heaters (gas heaters, propane, kerosene, gas stoves, etc.). Choice depends largely on your heating goals and needs and on safety considerations and issues like running costs, initial prices, etc.

Electric heaters

Electric heaters involve two main categories: electric radiant heaters (fan electric heaters….) and convection heaters (ceramic, mica, oil-filled heaters).

See: Electric heating basics

Combustion Heaters

Natural gas and propane space heaters belong to the combustion category; Kerosene and other liquid-fueled heaters are also combustion heaters, like gas stoves, fireplace inserts and pellet stoves… These type of heaters are rather unsafe. Modern direct vent gas furnaces are a safer and also efficient option.

See:
Direct vent gas furnaces
Kerosene and other liquid-fueled heaters
Gas Heaters

Which heaters are the best

There isn’t a best type of space heaters in abstract. The best depends largely on your heating goals and on the amount of your needs, your house insulation, or your climate and safety considerations…

Initial costs

Electric heaters are cheap units. And they do not demand installation costs at all, unless you want a space heater to be mounted on a wall, or so…

You can buy a sophisticated electric heater for less than $100, and most of them cost less than $50.

Combustion heaters, on the other hand, cost a lot more, though prices may vary. Besides, in many cases, the installation costs of combustion heaters may easily double their initial cost. In terms of initial investment, electric heaters are much more advantageous…

Running costs

Electricity price is typically high, which makes electric heaters disadvantageous in terms of running costs, unless to supplement other heating sources or for short periods of the year...

Using energy-effective electric room heaters for large periods only makes economical sense if you have a tight insulated and well air-sealed home (in order to minimize the electric power use), or the heating is restricted to a particular room or part of the house.

Combustion heaters aren’t so subject to running costs limitations. Though these costs vary with fuel, they are lower... Gas stoves, pellet stoves or propane and natural gas heaters are good examples of that.

Heating Capacity

The heating capacity of electric heaters varies with models and types, but significantly lower than that of combustion heaters, making them unsuitable for more demanding uses.

See: Heaters capacity

Energy savings

The fact that electric heaters involve larger running costs per hour of use, doesn't mean that they can’t be associated with some energy savings strategies. They can, if they replace other larger systems (central heating systems or even some combustion heaters) and as long as they are properly used and combined with insulation, zone heating, etc.

See:
Zone heating basics and Zone heating strategies with space heaters

Safety issues

Electric space heaters are safer than most combustion space heaters.

See: Space Heaters and Safety Concerns