I'm located in the ACT and I've been using my central heating this winter but I'm getting absolutely smashed by the usage bills. The first one from some time in April up to early July was about $420 and the supplier said to expect the next one to be higher after winter is over. When I talked to the supplier we also ruled out a gas leak.
My house doesn't have any carpet or curtains (just wooden blinds) and you cannot close off any areas of the house, just some individual rooms. Shutting off unused vents doesn't really work due to the lack of a door to the hallway and the placement of the intake there which checks the house temperature.
I also live alone and spent most of my time in one room with the computer so I'm now thinking I might be better off with an electric unit that I can have on just in that room. I have cats though so I wouldn't want to close the door to that room all the time so perhaps a stronger unit than some might be required. The room is otherwise a average sized bedroom with an average sized window.
I will look into getting curtains installed also but will still need a cheaper solution to heat the house.
I am after recommendations for some sort of heating unit, preferably electric, and I don't mind spending more upfront to get a more efficient and powerful unit that may give me savings down the line.
All electric heaters turn watts into heat, with the exception of reverse cycle air conditioning. Reverse cycle uses electricity to pull heat out of the atmosphere and dump it inside your room (more efficient).
Decent explanation here.
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2wzwmt/wouldnt_a…
If I was in your position I would go for a cheapie space or ceramic heater with thermostat (set a degree and it will turn the element on/off to maintain the temperature) rather than preset heat settings.
I don't like column heaters as they take too long to heat up (or cool down) and don't really have the same control that the ceramic/space heaters have. It's also too easy for someone or a pet to get burned by touching them. I also don't like radiant style heaters as seeing the element give off light means some of that energy is being converted into light rather than heat (although it's a tiny fraction of the total output), but some of them look pretty cool and they are really quite/silent.
At the end of the day if you care about efficiency then you need to insulate the inside from the cold outside. Leaving that door open for your cats will cost you dollars a day. Insulation is what makes a huge difference on the bill at the end of the month, not your choice of heater so much.
You could also just get yourself a decent down filled jacket and some thermal leggings + thick tracksuit pants as evening wear.