I have one of these things, but only because it was heavily discounted; I would never have paid anywhere near full price for it. They are largely ineffective through most of the winter, which is when I use a woodstove instead (and Nova Scotia, though damp and windy, rarely gets below -10C). They're best for cool mornings or evenings in fall or spring when you want to warm a room by a few degrees, but putting a fire on would make the house too hot. (I haven't had a chance to test the A/C component yet, and in this climate I likely won't need it until July)