Is ComfortTile an efficient way to heat?
All the electricity used by the ComfortTile wires is converted to useful heat. Gas appliances only convert a percentage to heat; the rest is lost up the stack. Of course, for many people, gas or oil is more economical per BTU than electricity, even considering the conversion loss. A lot depends on the price you pay for these energy sources and how careful you are with insulation. Generally speaking, ComfortTile systems are used to warm fairly small areas and most people use programmable controls or timers so they aren’t warming the floor all the time. Radiant floor heating is a much more efficient way to warm a space than forced air or baseboard (which works by mostly warming the air). Radiant systems broadcast energy at the speed of light from the floor to warm all the surfaces of the room. The air temperature stays lower so there is less heat loss through windows and air infiltration, yet your comfort is greater.