There are a variety heaters for heating the indoors or outdoor areas. The most well known source of warmth is a home furnace. Home furnaces carry heat through ducts in the house and derive their heat from either natural gas or electric power. Also common in the home is the space heater. Typically these are small and portable. Space heaters plug into a typical outlet and only warm a single room. Heating the outdoors is usually done by outdoor gas heaters. These heaters don't require electricity, so they can be brought to heat remote locations. Often outdoor heaters are just one large jet that shoots heat in a single direction. These jet heaters are good for large workspaces or party tents. More decorative heaters are available for smaller enclosed areas or just adding a little heat on the patio to cut the night chill.

A long way from the days of fires and even fireplaces, heaters provide warmth much more efficiently than past methods. Because fuel does not have to be added manually, today's heaters and much less work and also do not require any cleanup or release any emmissions.