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We have a forced heat pump and when it gets below 35 or so, it fights to keep the temperature up in the house. In turn the house gets cold. We do burn firewood in the fireplace in the living room but it only heats that area and it's not evenly heated.
We are trying to figure out the most efficient and inexpensive way to keep the house warm. We have a 2 story and the house is approximately 1800 sq feet. I've been looking at portable electric heaters, maybe the radiator electric, oil filled ones?? I wonder how much these things are going to increase my bill? I'm also worried if they get hot to touch with a grandbaby here. I don't want a kerosene heater. I'm thinking it's mostly at night in the 3 bedrooms where we need something. Do we turn the central heat down in the rest of the house at night and run these portable heaters or any suggestions? We live in the Upstate of SC. All of the insulation has been checked and replaced.
Fireplaces are pretty bad for heating. You might want to replace it with a wood stove or insert - which can be excellent sources of heat capable of warming all 1800 sq ft.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Heat pumps are only useful when the temperatures are at or above freezing, much lower and they ice up Most will have supplemental heat from a coil but that's like having an inefficient electric furnace and is still not enough to heat a house that size. If it does a good job cooling in summer it's probably not worth replacing with a full blown HVAC system. The oil filled heaters are very safe, even a toddler could touch it without getting burned but will learn fast not to do it again. They take a long time to warm up though, in a master bedroom figure two hours to get the room to a comfortable 70-72. Any space heater with an element tht gets red hot, despite the modern safety features such as a tipping over shutoff are dangerous and use a lot of electricity. The 1500 watt oil filled that we use sometimes to supplement in a cold room upstairs is using about $1/hour at our rate of $0.07/KWh. For an electric heater with fan and 1500 watts, about the same for the coils, plus a bit more for the fan motor if it has one.
ALL electric resistance heat has EXACTLY the same efficiency. Period.
The differences in electric heaters are more about modes. Oil filled heaters take a long time to heat a room, but the heating is even and quiet. (Whatever the rating is in wattage on them, cut it in half for effective wattage. They will cut off once they reach the safe temperature, whereas other styles don't have to stop and can keep using electricity.) Fan type heaters have noise but are faster to heat a room and more responsive. Radiant heat can warm you even when the air in the room is cold, but like sunbathing, you have to be where it can "shine" on you. Convection heaters can either be oil filled or with protected elements (baseboard heaters can be like this).
For a bedroom or bathroom, generally oil filled work well.
Propane or natural gas are also options. We heat with a heat pump, and on cold days use a propane wall heater, and have a fireplace for backup.
ALL electric resistance heat has EXACTLY the same efficiency. Period.
The differences in electric heaters are more about modes. Oil filled heaters take a long time to heat a room, but the heating is even and quiet. (Whatever the rating is in wattage on them, cut it in half for effective wattage. They will cut off once they reach the safe temperature, whereas other styles don't have to stop and can keep using electricity.) Fan type heaters have noise but are faster to heat a room and more responsive. Radiant heat can warm you even when the air in the room is cold, but like sunbathing, you have to be where it can "shine" on you. Convection heaters can either be oil filled or with protected elements (baseboard heaters can be like this).
For a bedroom or bathroom, generally oil filled work well.
Propane or natural gas are also options. We heat with a heat pump, and on cold days use a propane wall heater, and have a fireplace for backup.
What coverage do you get from the propane wall heater and how much does it cost you to run?
We plan to turn down the heat during the day and night. We will use a space heater in the room we are in and close off the rest of the rooms/house. Heating blankets/sheets at night and warm clothes.
We will have gas heat and I know it would be high otherwise!
Our propane wall heater has six bricks. The home has 6" studding and full insulation walls and roof. The heater will easily handle rooms here totaling about 1500 sf with an outside temp of 15 degrees F. and interior at 72 - 74, and with a couple stove top burners pressed into service we are good for as low as it gets here with no electricity. We use propane for the stove top and the wall heater and buy about $500 worth for the year, total. However, our situation is not yours in a number of different ways - the home is larger, single story, North Alabama winter temps allow us to effectively use the heat pump much of the time, and I can tailor our usage to be cooking on coldest days and so on. Use this to figure out what works cost wise:
Are you looking for the most inexpensive method to buy and install or the most inexpensive to run? Unfortunately there is pretty much an inverse relationship between the two.
Your house isn't huge, and with the right set up you could heat it pretty well with a wood stove. The key thing is to distribute the heat around the house. In the 70's I helped my dad cut holes in the ceiling to let heat from our wood stove pass from the first to the second floor (we put adjustable vents in the holes we cut). We then used some 4" fans in the top corners of doorways to move the heat out of the room with the stove and around the first floor. If you can get cheap (or free) wood that can work really well.
Harry is right that different electric options will cost the same to produce heat, but it is the most expensive option to run. GFA will be cheapest to run, but it's a big upfront investment for installing it.
I presume you have already put some kind of insulation for the windows and entryway. That normally helps a lot with preventing heat from escaping, as well as stopping drafts..(?) I would also recommend insulated (thermal) drapery. Check JCPenney. Let the sunshine in during the day. Another idea would be to ask for a free energy assessment and recommendation via your local energy supplier. Make sure the indoor humidity level is normal. Moist air do help retain heat. Think tropical; not a sauna...haha..Don't overdo the humidity to avoid growth of mold spores. Best to use a Hygrometer. Hopefully, you will find the right solution that will work for your needs.
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We do burn firewood in the fireplace in the living room but it only heats that area and it's not evenly heated. 
