McGraw Edison portable heater from the past holds promise for the future of efficient  heating.

The internal workings are more superb simplicity using a 15 watt motor to power the rotary fan forcing air through the ducted heating coils and out the lower front of the unit.
The motor and bearing being run vertically have nearly zero load so the bearing will last indefinitely while the heating coils are much heavier than those used today and provide more than ample heat.
The beauty of this heater is that it pulls cold air in through the cardboard ducting at the top of the heater and the top rear, down through the fan where it is heated and expels it through the lower front but this is not where the process ends.
The warm air exiting the lower front mostly moves straight out and then slowly rises up into the heated space but some 15% is drawn back through the air intake to be reheated and re-expelled.
By circulating the air in this way the heated air is re-charged or double heated thus reducing energy required in heating incoming cool air.

Somewhere in the late 60's to early 70's The McGraw Edison Company produced an interesting portable heater that  re-cycles heat to produce more heat more efficiently here in 2008.
A direct descendent of the Thomas Edison Electric Company this heater changes the rules of heat as we know them.
With conventional controls and a simple two heat choice one setting for large rooms and the other for small rooms and a thermostat that is accurate to one degree.
The body is stamped steel with a photo finish (not decal) that looks like wood.

Definitely something worth looking into to be sure, and we are also taking another look at heating coils once again as this heater has consistently out performed the latest ceramic and disk technology elements while the heater itself has a side benefit of operating nearly silent.
Re-discovering older technology, sometimes it pays to take a look to the past for answers of the future.