Cut heating costs by adding a plenum heater

Adding a plenum heater into your existing furnace can cut

A typical 15kw plenum heater used to heat a home.

your heat costs nearly in half this winter. A plenum heater is an electric heating unit that is inserted above the air conditioning “A” coil in the duct, which converts your existing natural gas, liquid propane or oil furnace into a dual-heating system. Instead of using the gas, oil or wood-forced air-heating system, the heater uses the fan or air handler to move heat throughout your home or business.

With the flip of a switch, the user can choose the least expensive fuel source at any time because both the electric heat and fossil fuel heat can be adjusted by one thermostat. For example, the member can go from electric to gas, then back again.

Once the plenum heater is installed and a licensed electrician has connected and metered it, members will receive Capital Electric Cooperative’s off-peak rate of 3.0 cents per kilowatt hour, along with a $3 monthly charge. In comparison, propane’s rate is $1.49 per gallon and natural gas’s rate is $7.50 per decatherm per million BTUs (British thermal units). That means the electric heat system operates somewhere around half the cost related to fuels today.

This illustration shows an installed plenum unit.

Doug Mork, member services director at Capital Electric, advises members to plan ahead and add a plenum heater before it gets cold. “It might be difficult for a contractor to install one yet this fall because of the current installation demand,” he says. By planning for the future, members can add one next spring or summer, and be ready for the coming year.

Mork also advises members that they may be eligible for financing on a plenum heater, pending their qualification.

For more information on plenum heaters, call Doug or Josh at Capital Electric Cooperative at (701) 223-1513 or talk to your local heating and cooling contractor.