I don’t know about you, but my Christmas was pretty great. It was very low key, but filled with friends, family, and a few unexpected gifts. Something else that was unexpected was the snowstorm that arrived on Boxing Day, which turned my normal one-hour drive from my parent’s place in the suburbs back to my apartment into a three-hour ordeal. While I was toasty warm in my car the entire commute, the second I got out and entered my freezer of an underground parking garage, all I could think about was getting warm.
While cozy blankets are my go-to this time of year, and while I wrapped one around myself the second I walked through my front door, there’s a lot to be said about portable electric heaters and fireplaces when it comes to taking off the winter edge.
Good Electric Heaters Will Keep You Warm this Winter
I live in a very old apartment that has single paned windows, so heat is not exactly something that comes naturally unless I crank my thermostat to its max. And that’s exactly why I rely on electric heaters to keep me warm when it’s cold outside.
In full disclosure, I don’t own this heater, but my parent’s do, and it’s what made me comfortable while sleeping in their unheated spare bedroom for two nights this holiday season. It’s the Dyson Hot + Cool Ceramic Fan Heater, and as its name suggests, it serves dual function as a heater and cooling fan. The best part of this heater is that it comes with 10 different speeds, so it is easy to find a temperature that works in whichever room you are trying to heat (or cool). While I was in my parent’s spare bedroom, I kept it on low, but it could have easily warmed the entire living room had they not decided to turn the heat up on Christmas morning. It’s also bladeless, so it makes minimal noise, making it exceptionally unobtrusive.
Portable Electric Fireplaces Add Warmth and Ambience
If you’ve got the space, a portable electric fireplace like this one from Maya is another fantastic way to keep warm and cozy during the chilly winter months. Ideal for rooms in the 200 to 300 square foot range, this fireplace has two different settings to keep you toasty, or, if you just want the look of a flame without the heat, you can set it up to do that as well.
If space is a premium, you can also look up and install a wall-mounted electric fireplace like this 50” one from Paramount. Ideal for a family room or living space, it provides a 5,000 BTU output to easily heat up a 400 square foot room. It also features a unique Triple Fire system with a 3-colour LED flame effect and a total of 1,535 different colour combinations so it acts as a piece of art as well.
Stay on Top of Energy Consumption with Belkin WeMo
While staying nice and warm with electronic devices is great, doing so can add to 
your energy consumption and electric bill. So to stay on top of your energy costs, especially those associated with your electric heaters and/or fireplaces, look no further than the Belkin WeMo Insight Switch. With it, you can schedule when you want your electric heating devices to turn on and off, and you’ll receive real-time and average stats for power draw, usage time, and operating costs for whichever device you’ve plugged in to it. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting to turn off your heating device since you can control the WeMo plugs via your smartphone or tablet from anywhere in the world.
Staying warm this winter doesn’t have to be a complex endeavor. One or two heating devices that you can control with a smart plug are all you need to stay nice and toasty as the snow falls outside. Additional electric heaters may be found by visiting Best Buy.
