Sales of space heaters are sizzling as millions of homeowners buy into the promise of lower-cost heating in an era of soaring utility bills.

Our tests of the latest electric space heaters show that they provide more-consistent heat than those we last tested. And while they're also safer, space heaters still account for 40 percent of the deaths and 30 percent of the injuries each year in this country that are heating related, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Fuel-fired models carry their own risks (see Safety risks