Editing Billiard table (section)

== Heating ==
Billiard table beds are commonly heated with electricity, in order to keep the cloth dry, and allow the balls to roll better.<ref name="MPZ">{{Cite web |url=https://milieuplatformzorg.nl/bibliotheek/maatregelen/937/tijdschakelklok-voor-biljartverwarming/ |title=Tijdschakelklok voor biljartverwarming |author= |work=Vereniging Milieu Platform Zorgsector |date= |accessdate=12 October 2022 |language=nl}}</ref><ref name="Wouters"/> [[Queen Victoria]] (1819–1901) had a billiard table that was heated using [[zinc]] tubes, although the aim at that time was chiefly to keep the then-used [[ivory]] balls from warping. The first use of electric heating was for an 18.2 balkline tournament held in December 1927 between [[Welker Cochran]] and [[Jacob Schaefer Jr.]] ''The New York Times'' announced it with fanfare: "For the first time in the history of world's championship balkline billiards a heated table will be used..."<ref name="Shamos 1999" />{{rp|115, 238}}<ref>{{Cite news |work=The New York Times |date=16 December 1927 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1927/12/16/archives/to-heat-table-for-first-time-in-world-title-billiard-match.html |title= To Heat Table for First Time in World Title Billiard Match |access-date=2 January 2007}} (Subscription required.)</ref>

An electrically heated table is required under international carom billiard tournament rules 'in order to ensure the best possible rolling', although temperatures are not specified.<ref name="UMB-II-11-9">{{cite web |url= http://www.umb.org/Rules/Carom_Rules.pdf |title=World Rules of Carom Billiard |at=Chapter II ("Equipment"), Article 11, Section 9 |work=[[Union Mondiale de Billard]] |location=Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium |date=1 January 1989 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031638/http://www.umb.org/Rules/Carom_Rules.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2007 |access-date=5 March 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In tournaments, carom billiard tables have recommended heating temperatures of {{convert|33–37|°C|°F|abbr=on|lk=on}},<ref name="Shamos 1999" />{{rp|115, 238}} while billiard associations may heat their carom tables to as much as {{convert|45|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.<ref name="NOS"/> An average modern billiard heater has an output of 600 watts.<ref name="MPZ"/> If it is not switched off outside operating hours, consumption is 3,500 [[kilowatt-hour]] (kWh) per year,<ref name="MPZ"/><ref name="NOS"/> costing 525 [[euro]]s (0.15&nbsp;EUR/kWh).<ref name="MPZ"/> Switching off a billiard table heater whenever it is not used can save more than 50% in energy consumption and costs; this can be done automatically with [[timer]]s.<ref name="MPZ"/> Another way to reduce energy consumption and costs is to use synthetic cloth rather than wool cloth, which requires much more energy to warm up.<ref name="Wouters">{{Cite web |url=https://www.duurzamesportsector.nl/artikel/met-deze-investeringen-bespaart-biljartvereniging-horna-energie/ |title=Met deze investeringen bespaart biljartvereniging Horna energie |trans-title=With these investments, billiards club Horna saves energy |author=Sarah Wouters |work=Duurzame Sportsector.nl |date=17 September 2021 |access-date=12 October 2022 |language=nl}}</ref> A disadvantage of synthetic cloth may be that certain types of games, such as [[balkline]], may result in damaging the synthetic cloth too quickly because of the way players hit the balls.<ref name="Wouters"/>

The [[2022 Russia–European Union gas dispute]] caused rising energy costs around Europe, making heating billiard tables almost prohibitively expensive.<ref name="NOS">{{Cite news |url=https://nos.nl/video/2447893-biljarttafels-moeten-verwarmd-en-dus-zitten-clubs-nu-in-de-geldproblemen |title=Biljarttafels moeten verwarmd, en dus zitten clubs nu in de geldproblemen |trans-title=Billiard tables need heating, so clubs face financial troubles |author= |work=NOS.nl |date=11 October 2022 |access-date=12 October 2022 |language=nl}}</ref> The [[Royal Dutch Billiards Federation]]'s director said in October 2022 that "billiard and snooker localities are simply incapable of affording these energy prices anymore, as heating a billiard costs about 3,500 kilowatts a year (...). At current energy prices, that is about 2,400 to 2,500 euros a year per billiard table."<ref name="NOS"/>