Alternative Solutions for Heat. Refined the Question.

Sounds like something is wrong. Also, full it when you are down 50%. Don't wait until you run out. Easier to shell out 400.00 than 800.00 for example. I would put a lock on tank and see how it goes.

I've used kerosene heaters in the past, esp in drafty rentals we have lived in before. Kerosene is a lot less stinky than it used to be, and I would only use it when we are home. It really puts out some heat, so if it's a smaller room it will run you out of there. I would only use it on the coldest of days.
I have used a variety of electric heating. I like the radiant heaters that you can buy now with the oil inside. In my opinion, those are the best for consistent heating. Hope this helps!

Get a lock for your propane tank. It sounds like someone is stealing from you.

Get a programmable thermostat.

Get electric blankets. You are wasting money heating the house that high at night. It should be set to 68 degrees. Use the programmable thermostat to come on 90 minutes prior to your waking up and there will be no compromise.

Get a home audit done. If you can't afford one or your local electric or gas company isn't sponsoring them? Get plastic weather panels for your windows. Get the rolled up doggies for your doors to keep the warm air in and the cold air out.

Wood pellet stove.
Fireplace.
There are many things you can do. Do you live in a mobile home or a pre-fab house? Not sure you can replace the windows or do anything about the insulation in those types of homes. If you can't. The plastic weather panels for the windows...

I would ditch the space heaters...not with kids and pets...really. never.

Gamma

Sounds like you need to have an Home Energy Audit. http://www.homeadvisor.com/tloc/Tulsa-OK/Home-Energy-Audit/

this will tell you if your windows are leaking, etc.

I know this sounds WWWAAAYY out there...but is it possible that people were coming to steal from your tank and that's why you went through it so fast? I know propane is NOT easy steal...but man oh man...going one year on a tank and then fill-ups in such a short period of time.....if that's not the case...was the weather colder?

If you can't or won't do the home energy audit? Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy the plastic covering for the windows and seal them during the winter...

Look into Mitsubishi heating..
http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/?gclid=CM--trXe7cECFbNm7...

I would see how much it would cost to have a natural gas line run to your home...http://home.costhelper.com/install-gas-line.html

and switch to gas...yes...I know it will be expensive to have the water heater, stove, etc. switch to gas...however...in the long run? You will be saving a BOAT LOAD of money...

Fireplace... http://www.amazon.com/PuraFlame-control-portable-mounted-...

http://www.amazon.com/Dimplex-DFI2310-Electric-Fireplace-...

Good luck!!

It is extremely weird that you would take most of a year to use up a tank and then have to fill it so often.
Are you sure no one is stealing propane from you?
With the right equipment, it's easy for someone to do and propane theft has been a problem in some areas.
Please find a way to lock up/ block access to your tank.

http://www.laigroup.com/propane-tank-locks-security-valve...

Another way to save on heating is to insulate where you have heat loss.
Those Indoor Window Insulator film kits can really help a lot.

At night, leave your thermostat at 65 and throw another blanket on the bed.
Kids can use blanket sleepers and flannel pajamas/night gowns are so cozy.

Electric space heaters are dangerous to kids and pets.
Accidents and tragedies happen - I wouldn't risk it.

The only difference between the summer and the winter is heat. If your furnace is using up that much propane the logical first step is looking into buying a new furnace not a mess of potential fire hazards.

Have you considered a heated blanket at night. That would make a lot more sense than over heating the whole house when you are in one room.

I am still shaking my head about the turning up the heat at night and you not understanding that is your problem right there. I am sure our house is newer and our windows are only 8 years old, during the day my heat doesn't kick on unless the kids are going in and out playing in the snow or it is dreary overcast day. At night with the sun down ours kicks on five or six times and that is kicking it down to 64.

We have a programmable thermostat, 60 bucks, it kicks the heat up to 70 at 4:45 so we can start getting up at 5:00, at 7:30 when everyone is out of the house it goes down to 62, the cat can suck it up! At 2:00 when the kids start coming home from school it goes up to 68 where it stays until 9:00 when we start going to bed so back to 64. We have natural gas but still for a 2200 sq ft home our gas bill is 45 a month in the winter. That includes gas stove, gas dryer.

I am willing to bet the house if I put it up to 70 every night my bill would more than quadruple.

I agree that something else is going on. We have a 3 bedroom house and furnace, dryer, hot water, stove and oven all run on propane. We have a similar sized tank for a family of 5 and get it filled twice a year at most - in Michigan (and it was ridiculously cold last winter). I keep the house at 67 and will turn it down a few more degrees at night if my husband doesn't notice. Electrical heaters will make you more comfortable but will be expensive to run. Something's going on for sure.

First, consider buying a down comforter for your beds. They stay very warm and then you only have to turn the heat on in the mornings.

We have mineral oil radiators in our attic bedroom (which doesn't get the oil furnace heat directly) and in Kiddo's bedroom, which happens to get the East Wind in the winter. They are very safe and cost-efficient in regard to electricity used.

I'd also suggest running them on low in the coldest areas during the day so that it's not so hard to heat the house at night. Just something to think about.

I would look into having your homes insulation checked. I know electric companies will check homes to see where they are inefficient (drafty, etc.). You can also pick up some plastic for the windows (inside) this will help with any drafts. You cut it to fit over and then use a hair dryer to tighten up the plastic.

Remember with the use of any electric heaters your electric bill will then go up and probably equal the difference. You can try turning your propane heat down to 40 and then keep space heaters in the rooms you use the most (be sure to close up any unused rooms), kitchens and baths are a must so that your pipes don't freeze.

The best space heater I had was filled with oil and was sealed. It looked like the old fashioned radiators (the steam kind) only with the controls on the side. I had gotten it at Home Depot about ten years ago.

I understand you want to move away from propane, but have you considered filling your tank right now?

On my "to do" list for today is to call and get our tank filled. We usually fill it in September, so my husband has been on my case a bit (but money has been low, and I am just now paying it off).

Propane does cost more in the winter, so fill it in August/September/October. It will be much cheaper, and you might be able to last until spring. That will make a big difference.

I don't have any electric heat appliances so I can't give a product recommendation. I do know that the cost of propane is a serious issue for many people and so I hope you find a solution.

Have you ever had a Home Energy Audit? If not, call your electric provider to arrange one. Some companies do it for free, some have a cost. They inspect the home to find places where heat is escaping and offer suggestions.

For example, if a house has single pane windows - they can be replaced, or covered with thermal plastic, or sometimes kept covered with a heavy curtain. Each of those things have pros/cons.

Sometimes they find a house has no insulation in the attic, a door needs weather stripping, a section of wall is leaking, etc.

We have a corner in one room that actually frosts over a tiny bit near the bottom on the coldest days. There is an unused cable jack there that we really should pull and plug the hole with some insulation.

The propane heat thing is one of the things keeping us from buying down south. it is all they seem to have. I would get electric blankets for bedtime. and warm up your beds before getting into them. i think the ceramic heaters are safer than the others. they have those little things that look like fireplaces now they throw out some heat but not a huge amount. we havea pellet burning stove in our house. it warms the entire first floor. I am including a link to show you the one we have. It literally heats our living room, family room, dining room and kitchen as well as big open area between all of those. It does get permanently installed with vent so you will want it in a corner out of the way. It would definitly heat the area your talking about.

http://www.amazon.com/EnglandS-Stove-Works-Pellet-Window/...

There is a pan that the ashes fall into after they have burned. You do have to let it cool to empty that.

When I was growing up money was VERY tight. Our heat was usually turned off at night and we slept under electric blankets, with at least two layers of clothing and other blankets on top.
We never used space heaters because they were such a common cause of fires back in the 70's.

I don't have suggestions just sympathy!

I do love down comforters and electric mattress pads-warms the bed up before you get in.

My parents have a baseboard heater in their family room. They turn it on when they are in there. It's perfectly safe. I'd probably try that.

Makes no sense to keep it cold all day then raise the heat at night.
Buy a programmable thermostat, set it and leave it alone!
I grew up with heating oil.
You get a discount if you can gather several neighbors to get a delivery at the same time. Do you do that? Call your supplier and ASK!
Look at your house and address any areas where heat escapes.
If it's a mobile home? They just stink as far as insulation, etc.
Plastic on your windows.
Only heat the common living areas during the day (if you're there).
Thermostat goes WAY down at night. Use an electric blanket.
If you're going to use a space heater, make sure it's SECURE and has an auto off upon tipping.

Is there any way you can hook up to the gas line from your city?

My dad had a propane tank in his home in AL. He is retired and it was costly to fill it because I am the one who paid for it when it needed a refill. He was also cautious about his use. Finally, he agreed to get a gas line from the city and the cost is dramatically lower. Just a thought.

We have gas heat and water from the city lines. We use our gas fireplace a lot. Do you have a wood burning fireplace by chance? It would not be my first choice because I 'm not fond of the smell and smoke in my house but if I was cold, I would use it.

I have a couple of small space heaters from Lowes that I use in my bathroom and office when I am chilly.

I would also be concerned about the electric bill if you start running thing strictly on electric as well. My stove and oven are electric. When we re remodeling an old house years ago, we had removed the stove and I bought a hot plate with 2 stove eyes. I used that thing for 6 months, I still have it and it works, 20 yrs later. Kohl's and BBB have the NuWave plug in cooktop that looks like it would be great. We plan to purchase one of those for the holiday season so I have an extra place for cooking in my kitchen.

Hope something helps there with ideas... Best wishes to you!

Look into the ceiling fans that have a built in heater. I have no idea how efficient they are in terms of heating or cost but I would assume they are comparable to electric space heaters.

Eta: We had electric baseboard heaters when I was a child (well my parents still have them) and they were just okay. We also had a wood stove so we really only used the heaters in our bedrooms. Each room had a thermostat so we could set it how we liked but the rooms never felt warm unless we were right beside the heater. They do get hot so you still shouldnt put a bunch of stuff directly in front of them. Now my parents have a pellet stove in the kitchen and it heats the entire house nicely. If I needed a new source of heat that's the route I would take (or a corn burner).

You seem pretty set on electric heat. I hope it works for you. Also, don't forget to see if you qualify for heating assistance. Most utility companies have their own programs in addition to the one through the government.

We have a rather large home, and even though we're on electric heat, its really pricey to heat. A few things we've done to help offset heating costs:

First and foremost: Keep the heat IN the house, and the cold out.

Bump up the insulation in the attic. If you can blow-in a few more inches of insulation, it's an excellent and cheap way to save you money. Bonus: Research what your electric company offers. If you're on OG&E, you might qualify for weatherization. And a big rebate for adding insulation. Check this out. http://www.oge.com/residential-customers/save-energy-and-...

Check your windows and doors. Do you have gaps where cold air might be entering/warm air might be escaping? Caulk is cheap and now is the time to get those gaps closed. Doorjams often lose their weather strip, causing cold air to rush into the house. Same goes for your garage door. Check that weather stripping.

Use a programmable thermostat. Drop down to 64'F at night (the optimum suggested sleeping temperature). Use extra blankets. During the day, heat to 68'F, dress warmly. Close the doors and register vents in the rooms you don't use much. Heat the rooms you live in instead of wasting that heat on the rooms you don't.

Put heavy curtains up in your bedrooms. Close them when it's very cold and when you're sleeping. Windows are awful when it comes to losing heat out of your home.

Baseboard heat is lovely. Yes, it will heat the whole room. And you can shut it off in the rooms you aren't using. But don't overdo. Trying to keep the house a constant 72'F is wasteful and unnecessary when everyone can put on socks and sweaters and save hundreds per year.

It's surprising the amazing, money saving rebates and such that energy companies will offer. We have Ameren and they gave us huge rebate on the hybrid water heater we purchased, making our out of pocket cost the same as what we would have spent on a regular water heater...but this one will save us hundreds per year. I know you're not looking for a water heater, I'm just using that as an example.

Best of luck!

This is going to sound old fashioned, but it proved a life saver for me when in Australia in the winter (they neither insulate their homes nor use much heat) - hot water bottles. They can be bought fairly cheaply, my drug store has them for about $5 each. one by your feet, one by your belly, and one near your neck and you can keep warm all night long.

I'd also look into insulation, which can be improvised too on the cheap. Hay under your crawl space. plastic sheeting over your windows to create double insulation.

Best,
F. B.

Instead of heating the house at night, keep the thermostat low and buy some electric mattress pads for on the beds. They work great.

I don't know much about propane but I have to say that filling the tank that often doesn't seem right.

I never heard of anyone turning the heat UP at night, and certainly not to 70 degrees. That seems wasteful with an abundance of blankets available and winter pajamas.

Space heaters, as you say, are very dangerous and they are extremely wasteful and inefficient. I think it's very risky with young children. Electricity is electricity so it doesn't matter what you plug in, it's drawing energy. I'm not sure what you mean about electric stoves - are you saying you'd invest in a new stove instead of propane? That's a big investment and of course your electric bill will go up, so I think you really need to do more investigating about the most worthwhile use of your limited funds.

Have you called your energy company? Almost all of them will do a free energy audit to find leaks, install various energy savers (for free), and make suggestions. Call the electric company and ask what you are entitled to. There are also special packages for people on fixed or reduced incomes. A friend of mine had someone come in and found that, because she was on a low income electric plan, she qualified for something else. He didn't do the full audit because each home only qualified for one, and if he had done it for her, she would have missed out on other things available to her. Another friend had one done and she got free programmable thermostats, all new efficient lightbulbs, and some recommendations on things she could do at drastically reduced cost to give savings going forward.

We have one of these in our bedroom because for whatever reason, it's always 10 degrees colder in there than the rest of the house despite there being only one heat zone for the house:

http://www.amazon.com/Eco-heater-NA400S-Wall-Mounted-Cera...

It's economic, safe, and works. I wouldn't use these as the primary heat source, but as a secondary source it's safer than a space heater.

I know you don't want to hear this, but it sounds like you need to focus on a better long-term solution than electric. Electricity rates are going to increase more than 30% this winter. It's already an expensive and inefficient way to heat your house and hot water, now you're going to put more of your needs on an expensive and inefficient method and pay substantially more rate-wise? Doesn't make sense.

We had the same problem, not sure what size house you live in, but last year we changed over to electric heaters. We purchased 4 Cyclonic Ceramic Heater Model 5848 brand name Lasko. My husband taped off the vents in the house and we set up the 4 heaters. Our house was warmer then it has ever been and you can set the temp on them so that they automatically shut off when it reaches a certain temp. We still have propane because it is what I use to cook with but haven't filled our tank in over a year. Cost was a lot cheaper then the propane. We have two dogs and never had a problem with them knocking them over. they are cool to the touch. Good luck.