Your furnace breaks and a repair guy can't get there right away. Or you need to wait for special parts to arrive and for the repair guy to fix the furnace once they do. This can take a few days and until the furnace is repaired, you get to freeze. That is, unless you use one of these cost-effective ways to heat a room.

Candle Heater

All you need to make a simple heater is some tea-lights, a metal bread pan, and two flower pots of different sizes. All it will take is a trip to the closest department store to get the items. You make the heater by placing the tea-lights inside the bread pan. Place the smaller flower pot on top of the bread pan. Cover the hole at the top with tape, aluminum foil, or the metal holder from one of the tea-lights. Finally, place the larger flower pot over the first.

The candle heater creates a convection current. In non-scientific terms, the inside pot heats up from the candles. The heat rises to the top and out the hole of the larger pot. That heat then spreads throughout the room. It will comfortably heat a small office, bathroom, or bedroom.

Kotatsu

A kotatsu is a heated table used mostly in Japan and other Asian countries. Traditionally, it is a low table with a heater built into the floor or the underside of the table. A large comforter sits over the top of the table to keep the heat beneath from escaping. On top of the blanket is a flat tabletop. You can make your own version of a kotatsu right at home using your coffee table and comforter from your bed. All you need is a flat panel heater. These heat as well as as a floor heater, but you can touch them without getting burnt and they use less electricity. Attach the flat panel heater to the underside of your coffee table using the provided attachments. Plug it in and let it warm up. Toss your comforter over the coffee table. Sit at the coffee table with your legs under the comforter to keep warm.

Heat Lamp

When you think of a heat lamp, you probably think of keeping baby chicks or your pet lizard warm. You can use heat lamps for yourself, as well. A 250-watt heat lamp bulb can raise the temperature of a small room by 15-30 degrees. Place a heat lamp in an office, bathroom, or small bedroom. Before long, the room will feel warmer and everyone will converge together in that room to stay warm.

Once your furnace is repaired, you can still use these cost-effective heating options to save on fuel costs. Check out sites like http://www.auroraapplianceparts.com for more information about furnace repair.