I live in the south, so I will admit that I do not have to use the heating system that often.
Actually, the vast majority of people in my state do not even have oil furnaces. I am sure no one who has lived here all of their lives has never heard of a boiler furnace or heated flooring or any of the commonly-used heating techniques in the north. The most respected forms of heating here are central heating and portable electric or portable gas furnaces that you plug into the wall. Therein lies an important problem. People are so unfamiliar with gas furnaces that they do not use caution when they use the little heaters, and because both of us are so unfamiliar with freezing weather, when it is cold, we lose our minds and can think of nothing else except getting the heating system out to warm us up. In numerous instances, the gas furnaces we use are older models and don’t necessarily have the latest safety features. Therefore, every year, we hear stories about beach house fires due to wrongful use of heaters. Most of the time, people are able to get out of the houses, but occasionally the fires occur at night when people are sleeping. The gas furnaces keep you warm, but the risk is too high in my opinion. If you are trying to cut utility costs, I understand. But, if you are going to use portable heaters, be sure to use the ones that have built in safety features! Also, be sure not to put them near loose fabric, such as sheets you might kick off the bed at night, or curtains.