[DavidPBL]

I should have been more specific. I was trying to ask about generating renewable energy and then using that at some other site for heating purposes. What kind of efficiency does electricity to heat get you compared to just burning fossil fuels on site? I am not sure if that is the best way of asking this question.

[IgorPartola]

I am not an expert on this but my understanding is that a fossil file plant wastes something like 60% of its energy as lost heat. There is also transmission losses. Whereas an oil or gas heater can get to like 97% efficiency in heating water when on site. Hell, you could get heat for free by just removing it from the smoke stack of a coal fired power plant.