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As colder weather sets in, most Americans are lighting their fireplaces and turning on their electric heaters to stay warm. But there are a handful who have opted for a new, cost-effective way to heat their homes: bitcoin mining rigs.

The computing power required to mine cryptocurrency produces a lot of heat. In total, the industry generates around 100 TWh of heat annually, which is enough to heat a country the size of Finland, according to digital asset brokerage firm K33.

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This potential energy waste, in an industry that’s already under scrutiny for the level of energy it uses, has led a number of entrepreneurs to create products that repurpose that heat. HeatBit’s Trio, a space heater and air purifier with a built-in mining rig, was reviewed by the New York Times earlier this year, which called it “pretty good” but said that it wasn’t going to pay for itself.

“The concept of using crypto mining or GPU compute to heat homes is clever in theory because almost all the energy consumed by computation is released as heat,” Andrew Sobko, founder of computer power marketplace Argentium AI, told CNBC.

Sobko says that he thinks crypto mining heat makes the most sense in larger-scale settings, like data centers or multi-unit residential buildings.

“We’re working with partners who are already redirecting compute heat into building heating systems and even agricultural greenhouse warming. That’s where the economics and environmental benefits make real sense,” Sobko told CNBC.

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“Instead of trying to move the heat physically, you move the computer closer to where that heat provides value,” he added.

Others disagree, saying that crypto mining rigs can be used effectively to heat single-family homes and other small spaces.

“I’ve seen bitcoin rigs running quietly in attics, with the heat they generate rerouted through the home’s ventilation system to offset heating costs,” Jill Ford, CEO of sustainable bitcoin mining company Bitford Digital, told CNBC. “It’s a clever use of what would otherwise be wasted energy.”