I live in the south, so I will admit that I do not have to use the heater very often.
In fact, the vast majority of people in my state do not even have furnaces. I’m sure no one who has lived here their whole lives has ever even heard of a boiler heating system or heated flooring, or any of the commonly-used heating techniques in the north. The most common forms of heating here are central heating and portable electric or portable gas heaters that you plug into the wall. Therein lies a big problem. People are so unfamiliar with heaters that they do not use caution when they use the little heaters. Because we are so unfamiliar with cold weather, when it is cold, we lose our minds and can think of nothing else except getting the heater out to warm us up. In many instances, the heaters we use are older models and don’t necessarily have the latest safety features. Therefore, every year, we hear stories about house fires due to improperly using heaters. Most of the time, the people are able to get out of the houses, but sometimes the fires occur at night when people are sleeping. The heaters keep them warm, but the risk is too high, in my opinion. If you are trying to cut utility costs, I understand that, 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 place them near loose fabric such as sheets you might kick off the bed at night or curtains.