During the cold winter months, a ceramic space heater is a good way to stay warm even when you don't want to heat up the whole building. When you are planning to purchase one of these units, there are numerous things you have to consider, some of which will affect the price you pay for the heater.

Consider the following suggestions to help you plan your budget to absorb ceramic heaters pricing and costs:

1. Plan to purchase a tower style ceramic heater if you need a model that won't take up much floor space.

2. Warm up a small space with a portable ceramic heater.

3. Buy a specialty ceramic heater that suits your decor or special needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider purchasing a tower ceramic heater

A tower ceramic heater is ideal for rooms where floor space for the heater is at a premium. These models vary in price for a variety of reasons. Larger heaters are more expensive than small heaters. Oscillating models are slightly more expensive than stationary models.

I recommend: Beach Audio offers a varied selection of tower style ceramic space heaters. Prices start at around $45 for a basic model. Newegg.com sells tower heaters with ceramic heating elements starting at around $40. Some models are oscillating and some are remote controlled.

Opt to purchase a portable ceramic heater

Portable ceramic heaters are ideal for small spaces, such as offices or cubicles. Some of these models have a thermostat control, which makes them slightly more expensive than a model without it. These heaters are small enough to fit under a desk or table. However, because safety should always be in the forefront of your mind, spend a little more money on a unit that will shut off automatically if it tips or gets too hot. Purchasing a surge protector is a good idea--just don't plug your computer or electronics into the same strip as the heater.

I recommend: You can find compact ceramic heater models at Ron's Home & Hardware. Prices range from $20 to $100 for most models. This company provides information about ceramic heaters it sells. OfficeSupplies.us.com sells portable ceramic heaters priced at $30 to $100.

Upgrade to a specialty ceramic heater

Specialty ceramic heaters include decorative models and models with special features. Decorative heaters are usually available in metal, wood or plastic models, which are ideal for blending into a room's decor. Pivoting head ceramic heaters are ideal for shop areas.

I recommend: Hardware World and RapidSupplies.com are suppliers of ceramic heaters. Hardware World is a supplier of ceramic heaters where you can expect to pay up to $500 for a wooden infrared ceramic heater. RapidSupplies.com offers pivoting ceramic heaters and dual ceramic heaters. You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $150 per heater at this store. Quantity discounts are available.

When you get really cold at work and can't focus on the task at hand, get yourself warm with a ceramic space heater. Suppliers of ceramic heaters sell units that deliver quick, comfortable and reliable heat that let you concentrate on your job and not on cracking a tooth because you're shaking so hard.

As heating costs continue to rise like hot air, business owners need efficient heating solutions. Ceramic heaters provide cost effective and efficient solutions for office or personal heating that don't require constant upward adjustments of the thermostat to heat an entire building or floor. Ceramic heating elements offer a safer solution for space heaters since they operate at temperatures below the ignition point of most materials you'd find in your office. Ceramic heater manufacturers basically produce three types of heaters that work well in an office environment:

1. Compact ceramic heaters fit conveniently under desks and on tables to provide targeted heat.

2. Pedestal ceramic heaters heat your middle and upper torso and can warm your fingers when working on your computer.

3. Tower ceramic heaters will heat a small room when there's no heat or when you just want a little extra warmth in one room.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy a compact ceramic heater to put anywhere

With a small, portable ceramic heater, you get the flexibility of putting it where you need it the most -- on the floor next to your feet or on top of a table or work bench.

I recommend: Go to Todays Concept to see the Honeywell HZ-315 Quick Heat Ceramic Heater and to get more information on ceramic heaters they sell in addition to this one. The HZ-315 comes with triple safety protection, a cool-touch exterior, will fit perfectly under your desk and the ceramic heating element heats quickly to give you warmth as soon as you need it. You can also order the DeLonghi Retro ceramic heater at drugstore.com. With its stainless steel finish, this heater looks great on a table, workbench or the floor. It includes safety features, two heat settings, an automatic turn-on feature when the room drops below 44 degrees F. and a power indicator light.

Purchase a pedestal ceramic heater for your office or work shop

If you sit most of the day, consider adding a pedestal ceramic heater to your office for better circulation of heated air at seated height.

I recommend: Go to Brilliant Store, a supplier of ceramic heaters, to buy the Sunpentown SH-1509 35" pedestal ceramic heater; the heater's clean look combined with the 1500W heating, an ionizer, LCD display, remote and auto thermostat make this heater a smart choice for heating your work space. Purchase the Lasko 30" digital pedestal ceramic heater from iAllergy; the heater operates at two speeds and includes an eight-hour timer, oscillation, adjustable thermostat, multi-functional remote control, digital display and a three-year limited warranty.

Order a tower ceramic heater to warm your entire room

Use a tower ceramic heater as a primary or supplemental heating source. It lets you elevate the temperature in your office without the cost of putting more heat in other rooms that's not needed.

I recommend: The tower ceramic heater at Natural Solutions stands 23.8 inches high, operates on two heat settings, includes a digital thermostat with LCD display, a timer mode, fixed or 120-degree oscillation, tip-over and overheat protection, built-in ionizer, remote control and a convenient foot switch to turn the unit off and on. Additionally, the heater comes with free shipping and a one-year limited warranty. Visit Office World to order the 1500W 1Touch tower ceramic heater with oscillation, remote control and two heat settings. It also includes safety features like auto shut off and tip-over protection.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Need-to-know information about ceramic heaters includes never plugging ceramic space heaters into the same surge protector or power strip that you connected your computer to help prevent electrical circuit overload.