Heat house with electricity? Practical???

[Muse]

A/C in Berkeley? HAhahahahahahahahahahah!

OP, the units I lived in around there always had one or two single wall-panel gas heaters. They were direct-feed, so they had their own pilot that you'd have to remember to re-light during the cold ~week of the year.

This was fine for most spaces, and you probably don't need it for the whole house--maybe the bedroom, but definitely the living space. I wouldn't see a need to heat a bedroom there. There is no Berkeley temperature that a single down comforter can't handle.

My last residence had a gas wall heater just like you describe. That was a one bedroom cottage. This is a 1925 sq. ft. two story house. The bedroom can get down to 48F at night in the winter. That's upstairs. The kitchen can get that low too and it's kind of nasty. I turn on the burners in the kitchen, maybe not the healthiest thing to do. So far this winter, I haven't done that particularly. I don't know that a wall heater would work in this house. I figure I'll look into the heat pump ideas presented in this thread.

Been drinking a cup of broth once in a while, it's a quick and easy way to fight feeling cold. Of course, doing any kind of exercise helps that a lot. As long as I've lived here (since 1983) I don't remember shivering a single time!

At night, during the winter, I sleep with a hoody on. Just cinching it up around my head, with the covers around me is enough to keep me comfy enough.

 

[Micrornd]

Here (Central FL) I just use 10kw of aux heat strips in my central air unit.
Cuts down on the complication of a heat pump.
Usually only need heat 5-6 days at most a year, just overnight.
So far 2 days this year (and AC ran during the days).