Clean energy or what

[JohnfromUK]

Forgive me if this is all obvious BUT remember;

1. Virtually ALL electric heaters are near 100% efficient (i.e. you get a 1 KWhr heat out for 1 KWhr electricity used). 
2. The difference is usually in the 'controllability' like timers, thermostats etc.
3. Heat is delivered in different ways - which suit different uses.
4. ALL electricity bought from the mains is fundamentally expensive as a source of energy per KW, but is convenient and mostly flexible and controllable compared to some other sources.

• Simple electric convectors warm the air and are relatively slow to warm, but are cheap and compact.  There are possible risks if covered and they are not suited to bathrooms etc.  Heat is by convected warm air so rises and will 'get lost' at ceiling height in tall areas or rooms.
• Oil filled are similar, but with better safety and usually more expensive to buy.  They are heavy and bulky.  Again (despite being called radiators) heat is mainly by convection.
• Fan type heaters also heat air, but direct it.  They are small and powerful for the size, but often noisy.  They can warm a small room quickly.
• Radiant heaters (bar fires, infra red and quartz types) work more by warming the person from the radiated heat.  There are fire and burn risks as the actual elements run very hot.  Good at providing small hot spot areas in a large space.
• Night storage heaters are convectors with a huge 'thermal mass' built in.  In theory you heat the mass (big ceramic/masonry blocks) at night on cheaper Economy 7 or cheap tariff electricity.  It is then released slowly over the day.  They are bulky, incredibly heavy and have very limited controllability.

The real 'key' is that for every KW of electricity bought - you get a KW of heat out (unlike most gas, oil, wood etc where some heat is always wasted up the chimney).  The difference is in how that KW of heat is delivered - and what level of control you get.

[Pushkin]

Tightchoke and John from UK. Cheers boys, as I thought it is just a way of extracting cash from those of us who might just believe their crappy advertising speil.  Keeping an open mind though, some day we may be able to run our cars on water too

Pushkin