JANUARY 2016
Making energy work for YOU
A “Heating Miracle?” The Real
Costs of Supplemental Space Heaters
“Why is my electric bill so high? I bought
one of those ‘miracle’ space heaters that I’ve
seen advertised in the newspaper and in
magazines. Can someone come check the
meter? Something has to be wrong!”
Midwest Energy gets several calls similar
to the above scenario during the colder
months. When the customer service representative asks if there is a space heater
being used, the answer is always “yes.”
According to the Department of Energy,
space heaters can be useful if you only want
to heat one room or supplement inadequate heating in one room. They can also
boost the temperature of rooms used by
individuals who are sensitive to cold, espe- These three space heaters range in cost from $25 to $349, but they all use
cially elderly persons, without overheating roughly the same amount of electricity. Using any of them around the clock in
your entire home. However, space heaters January, say to keep pipes from freezing, would cost you about $122.
are not intended to heat an entire home; usdaily on Saturday and Sunday and New Year’s Day.
ing them to do this can take a surprisingly big bite out Here are good estimates of what heaters cost to use:
of your wallet.
11 days at 16 hours = 176 hrs x 1.5 kWh = 264 kWh
“Most space heaters consume 1,500 watts of elec20 days at 8 hours = 160 hrs x 1.5 kWh = 240 kWh
tricity, which is the same as a typical hair dryer,” said
264 kWh + 240 kWh = 504 kWh
Brian Dreiling, Midwest Energy’s Manager of Energy
504 kWh x 11¢ per kWh = $55.44 plus tax, franServices. “It doesn’t matter if the heater is ceramic or chise fee where applicable, energy cost adjustment
quartz, convection or radiant heat, they all basically use (ECA), etc. If more than one space heater is used
the same amount of electricity.”
for the same hours, take the above computation and
Dreiling said that using a space heater sparingly to
multiply it by the number of heaters in use.
heat a small room for a few hours a day while occuIf you use a space heater to keep pipes from freezpied isn’t too costly. The key word is “sparingly.”
ing, constantly for the month of January, figure
“Every hour you use a space heater consumes 1.5
24/7 x 31 = 744 hours x 1.5 kWh = 1,116 kWh
kilowatt hours. At Midwest Energy’s residential electric 1,116 kWh x 11¢ = $122.76, plus taxes, etc.
rate of 11¢, that means running any space heater costs
Keep in mind, these examples are in addition to
you about 17¢ per hour,” Dreiling said.
your regular household usage. Knowing this informaLet’s say that in January you run this heater for only
tion before you begin using supplemental heating can
eight hours daily Monday through Friday, and 16 hours help alleviate the “ouch!” in upcoming heating bills.
30764-I-0070
Don’t Wait! 2016 Youth Tour
Applications Due Mar. 1
Youth Tour
was established
to inspire our
next generation of leaders.
Since 1964,
more than
50,000 young
Americans
have taken
advantage of
this special opportunity offered by their electric
co-op. Midwest Energy alone has
sent 50 students since 2005.
The 2016 tour takes place June
9-16. Co-ops from throughout
the nation will send participants to
Washington, D.C. for a chance to
meet with elected officials, learn
about the cooperative business
model and enjoy a full week of
sightseeing.
Current high school juniors interested in applying for this all-expenses-paid tour must complete
and return an official application,
available online at www.mwenergy.
com (click the “Communities” tab,
then the “Youth Tour” link) before
March 1. The Board of Directors
will choose one applicant from
each of Midwest Energy’s five
director districts.
Atwood, KS • Colby, KS • Great Bend, KS • Hays, KS
Your Phone
Number Is Our
Link to You
Midwest Energy needs your
phone number for two important
reasons: first, we notify members
of upcoming planned outages
several days in advance by phone;
second, when you call us to report
an electric outage, our automated
system uses a form of caller ID to
identify your account. If the phone
number is not recognized, you will
be prompted to either enter the
phone number or the account
number for the outage location.
Over the years, many people
have ditched their land lines in
favor of smart phones. If you’ve
recently changed your number,
please call us at 1-800-222-3121
so we can update your information. Your number will never be
sold for marketing purposes!
Hoxie, KS • Phillipsburg, KS • Scott City, KS • WaKeeney, KS