I live in a two bedroom apartment and use a heat pump for my source of heat. Would it be economcial for me to buy a space heater that uses either gas, propane or kerosene to help heat my apartment or would staying with the heat pump be best given the price now of gas, propane and kerosene. Which option would save me the most money?

Stay with the heat pump!

Space heaters can be dangerous especially the ones that do not vent to the outside.

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Originally Posted by russharv63

I live in a two bedroom apartment and use a heat pump for my source of heat. Would it be economical for me to buy a space heater ...Which option would save me the most money?

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I doubt anyone can give you an accurate answer without knowing the condition of the heat pump, the average temperature of winters in your location, or having done a thermal analysis of the apartment. I would suspect for the energy savings gleaned if any, it would take several years to recoup the cost of a space heater of sufficient size to heat the whole apartment. Include the increased risks for asphyxiation and fire and the option may be even more costly.

I once lived in a poorly insulated two bedroom apartment with a heat pump that I couldn't afford to run. The apartment also had a potbelly wood stove that I replaced with a catalytic Buck Stove blower model that I bought used for $550. The oak wood I burned was free scrap pallet material from a local farm equipment dealer. The stove did wonders for even heating and reducing the amount of wood required compared to the original potbelly model. The stove was vented through the roof. I made a pedestal to sit it on, but it could have also been used as a fireplace insert. My electrical savings were over $100 a month in the dead of winter compared to the heat pump. The stove paid for itself the first year. Although installation of a stove and procuring the wood is a bit of work, perhaps this strategy would be an option for you.

If your heat pump appears to heat just fine then I would stick with that. The next safest avenue would be to use an electrical space heater, if your wiring is up to it. To save money in college I used to turn down the thermostat at night, close the bedroom and bathroom doors and zone with just an electrical baseboard in those rooms. During the day while at school I'd zone just the bathroom. A programmable tstat can also be helpful.