A portable heating or lighting unit may comprise a housing, a handle, a shield or grid, a source of electric energy, a rectifier, an electrical device adapted to use electrical energy from the source of electric energy, and a control system comprising control hardware and embedded software, where the control system may be adapted to automatically control the electric heating element. A source of electric energy may comprise a battery adapted to store energy and to output stored energy as electrical energy, a fuel cell, a thermoelectric component, or a plug adapted to draw electrical energy from a wall outlet or other source of electrical energy. A battery may be at least partially enclosed by the housing. A thermoelectric component may comprise a thermoelectric material or a thermoelectric generator. An electrical device may comprise a resistive heating element adapted to emit thermal energy.