Homes in South Africa are designed with tiles floors, open patios, and big windows to allow for a breeze to cool down the home in the warm climate. Unfortunately, this makes them more difficult to warm in winter.
Using energy-efficient heating will not only keep you warm and toasty, but it will also help save on ridiculous utility bills. We explored various heating options and the cost to run per hour. Homes in South Africa are designed with tiles floors, open patios, and big windows to allow for a breeze to cool down the home in the warm climate. Unfortunately, this makes them more difficult to warm in winter.
Using energy-efficient heating will not only keep you warm and toasty, but it will also help save on ridiculous utility bills. We explored various heating options and the cost to run per hour. Read on for the cheapest way to heat your home.
Wood-burning fireplace to heat your home
There are two types of wood-burning fireplaces. Open, the type that is set into the wall and is completely open to the room, and closed-combustion, the ones that are generally free-standing and have a door to contain the fire. The cost of this? Approximately R2,00 per hour.
Electric heaters
These refer to more old-school methods like bar heaters, wall-mounted heaters, and oil fin heaters. Wall-mounted heaters (you can find them at Leroy Merlin) are great for bedrooms, as it provides a more gentle heat, with zero noise. The cost of this? Approximately R2,80 per hour.
Gas to heat your home
Gas is a great, clean option for heating. You could purchase a gas heater from Leroy Merlin, or you could install a gas fireplace. The best part – the heat is instant! A 9kg bottle of gas (refill) costs about R300 and will be used up by the average gas heater in about 30 hours at maximum output. At a lower output, you can stretch this to 90 hours but then the heating efficiency may be compromised. The cost of this? Ranging between R2,80 – R7,50 per hour.
For all your home needs, Kandua has you covered.
Any job. Any size. Done.
Suzette Meyer is the lead author and content creator for Kandua.com, South Africa’s #1 marketplace for home services. She researches and writes the Kandua Advice articles, Cost Guides, and the Kandua Email Newsletter, drawing on the expertise of Kandua’s base of over 40 000 pros across more than 100 services, and the data gathered from the 100 000+ home service projects facilitated through the platform.
Home improvement can be daunting, and it is often difficult to find out if you are paying a fair price for your products and services. Suzette has made it her mission to help homeowners with advice on all aspects of home repair, maintenance and improvement, including how to choose the right handyman and how to make smart upgrades that improve your resale value or save costs.
