When the winter temps drop into the teens and twenties, many UCEMC members will bring the space heater out of storage to supplement their home heating unit. Some advertisements indicate that portable electric heaters are highly efficient, and the truth is, they are designed to provide adequate short-term heat for a bathroom or other small area. Long-term use may be cost-prohibitive because, with a space heater, it's that constant flow of electricity that causes that wire to glow red-hot and produce heat.