Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tmax500]

What should a 2 kilowatt electric heater cost per hour?
By comparison what would a 10-pyeong apartment ondol cost per hour?

I'm thinking of buying a Dimplex OFRC20C or similar heater when it gets cold.

[Weigookin74]

I think the gas floor heating will work out to be slightly cheaper than electric heating. Gas tends to be cheaper than electric rates. But, it also depends on how energy efficient your place is and if your place has any insulation.

[wishfullthinkng]

insulate your windows and use gas. electricity costs here are priced in tiers. the more you use, the more expensive each kilowatt hour costs. it can get pretty nasty.

[Stan Rogers]

You could try charcoal. Some Koreans use it as a cheaper alternative.

[tmax500]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll look into improving insulation and stick with the ondol heating. I didn't know about the tiered electricity cost before and I don't want to pay 200,000 won no matter what!


Just saw this info about tiered costs: http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=229584

[Deja]

A good indicator is: if you use 100K for A/C in the summer, there's no chance you can do as good for heating with A/C in the winter. And A/Cs (inveters at least) are more efficient than simple heaters.

[EZE]

Definitely use gas. When I have lived in apartments with washing machines in the kitchen area, I have used only gas and the bills have been around 10,000 per month during the winter. At one school, the washing machine was in a closet with three big windows on each side, and the washing machine's pipe was a couple inches from the window causing it to freeze. I had to use a heater a couple of times to thaw out the washing machine, jacking my electricity bill up seriously high, 100,000 or more when it's usually around 10,000 won.

[Weigookin74]