Re: electric heat in Tasmania
From: Ian Higginbottom (Ian.Higginbottomml.csiro.au)
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 94 19:19 CDT
Thanks to those who replied to my question about radiant ceiling heat.

Our common house is built to lock up and has a timber floor (which we will
eventually insulate).  We get only about 20 nights per winter with the night
minimum below freezing and maybe one night a year with a minimum below -5 deg C.

Some info on heating costs here, just for your info, or so you can
understand our choice of resistive heating.

electricity for domestic heating is AUS$0.062 per kWh
gas (liquid petrolium gas)       is      .075 per kWh
wood (good dry) is aus $60 per 1000 Kg (I have not tried to convert that to
energy terms or to US units)

When you take into account maintanence costs and depreciation of the heater 
electric heating stacks up well.  

According to the salespeople hear radiant ceiling heat does not primarily
heat the air near the celing.  It is radiant so it heats the floor, walls
and furniture in the room and all of those things along with the ceiling
heat the air.  In theory it is the one form of heating (along with floor
heating) that does not require a fan in the ceiling to stir the air up.

Cheers,
Hig
Cascade Cohousing

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