You might look into the oil-filled radiator type. I don’t know if it’s any more efficient, but the heating elements are not exposed so it’s pretty safe. The exposed parts get very warm, but not dangerously hot.
We’ve had one for years and it’s nice – it gives off very comfortable radiant heat, and it doesn’t dry out the air the way other kinds of heaters do. We keep one in the master bedroom and often during the winter we will run it at night rather than run the furnace.
