The expense is worthwhile for people who don’t want to shovel or are physically unable to do so.
When cold weather arrives, you’re bound to see ads all over social media for those snow-melting mats.
But do they work, and are they worth it?
The time-lapse video above demonstrates how the mats keep snow from accumulating.
You’ll find no-name brand mats, but we certainly can’t recommend them.
So that’s $840 for the front walk.
Why shovel when you could throw down giant heating pads on your sidewalk?
The operating cost isn’t fixed because you only need to run them when it is snowing.
So let’s figure out the hourly operating cost of the mats I picked out above.
The landing mat uses ~380W, the walkway mats use ~300W, and the stairway mats use ~100W each.
Are Melting Mats Worth It?
There are three factors to look at: time, money, and safety.
Running the mats certainly saves you time.
Every square foot you cover with the mats is a square foot you don’t have to shovel.
In that case, never shoveling your porch or walk sounds pretty great.
And finally, perhaps the best argument for melting mats, is safety.
