Most Efficient Electric Baseboard Heaters

Types

Choosing the most efficient electronic baseboard heating begins with choosing the right type of baseboards. Air-heated radiant floors are not cost effective for residential homes and electric radiant floors tend to use more electricity than other types of electric baseboard heating. The most efficient type of electronic baseboard heating for most residential installations is hydronic baseboard heating, whereby water is electrically heated and directed underneath the floor of each room to heat that room.

The installation of these systems is typically quite substantial, involving tearing up the floor in several different rooms in the home. Therefore, it is important to consider installation costs when choosing the most energy efficient electronic baseboard heating. "Dry floor" installations, in which cables or tubing are installed in air space underneath the floor, tend to be the less expensive than "wet floor" installations in which cables and tubing are embedded in the flooring itself. Note, however, that installation costs vary tremendously according to the type of flooring you have in your home and the number of rooms that your plan to heat. Shop around and obtain several estimates to determine the most cost-effective installation.

As is the case with other heating systems, the temperature at which electronic baseboard heaters are used plays a critical role in energy efficiency. To a substantial extent, this varies depending on the climate in your area and on the temperature that your family considers comfortable. But several other factors affect operating temperature, as well. The greater the distance between the actual baseboard heaters and the floor, the more heat is lost while traveling from the heater to the floor and the higher temperature the heater needs to be kept at in order to maintain comfort. This consideration is also affected by the thickness of the flooring material in your home and on the thermal resistance of that material.

Radiant panels can sometimes be used to supplement the heat provided by electronic baseboard heaters. These panels are mounted in walls and are typically heated with electricity in most residential installations. Again, the efficiency of these devices depends on installation costs and on the temperature you maintain indoors. But by providing supplemental heat, radiant panels can reduce demand for heat from baseboard heaters and improve the efficiency of the baseboard heaters.