Dry air robs your skin of its natural moisture, causing you to feel cold even in a room where the heat level is normal. One of the most common and unsafe ways of adding humidity to the air is by setting an open container of water on a hot stove or heater. Generally, not enough humidity is added by this and it could present a safety hazard. Portable humidifiers are easy to use and relatively cheap. Cool-spray humidifiers for small areas or individual rooms work well, are independent of the heating system and need no plumbing.
Portable units plug into a regular wall outlet and are manually filled.
Central type humidifiers are added to forced-air heating systems and are tapped into the water supply for automatic refilling. Wake Electric reminds consumers that many factors affect energy bills, especially extreme weather conditions. The heating system is the largest single energy user in homes, and outside temperatures determine how hard the heating system must work to keep you comfortable.