Finding the cheapest electric heater to run is key to keeping your home toasty during the winter months, without breaking the bank. As temperatures continue to drop across the country, opting for a cost-efficient electric heater will allow you to stave away the cold without worrying about high energy bills.
However, as much as enlisting the help of the best electric heater will surely benefit you, it pays to be clued up on what exactly you're signing up for depending on which type of electric heater you buy; as some have surprisingly big hidden costs behind their initial price tag.
With so many options on the market, it's important to know which heaters performance for the lowest running costs. So, if you needed a reminder of how much it costs to run an electric heater, but in bite-size form, we've done the research and gathered expert advice to help you choose the cheapest electric heater to run – so you can keep your house warm in winter, whilst remaining cost-conscious.
How to calculate cost to run
We've calculated these costs based on the energy price cap as of July 2024, which is currently set at 22.36p per kWh. For the sake of ease, we've rounded up this figure to 23p, so you have an idea of the highest amount each respective electric heater could cost to run.
If you wish to calculate the cost of running a specific electric heater you either already own or have your eye on, you can do so by following these simple steps:
- Find the power of the heater in kilowatts (kW). You can do this by dividing the wattage by 1000 e.g. 1200W is 1.2kW.
- Multiply the kW by the number of hours you're using the appliance. E.g. using a 1.2kW appliance for 1 hour is 1.2kWh.
- Multiply the kWh by the energy price cap (currently 23p to the nearest penny as of 1st July 2024). E.g. 1.2kWh multiplied by 23 equals a running cost of roughly 27p per hour.
'The cost of running an electric heater depends on a few factors such as the type of heater from oil-filled to infrared heaters, its energy efficiency, electricity rates and how often you like to have your heating on,' starts Jess Steele, heating and technology expert at BestHeating.
'The cheapest electric heaters are those that are most energy efficient, can retain the most heat and can effectively heat a room without using up loads of electricity.'
As such, here are different types of electric heaters you can expect to see on the market, and their cost to run.
Fan heaters
Fan heaters are probably one of the most common choices for an electric heater, with wattages ranging from 1000W to 2000W. However, most of the time 2kW is the most common you'll see, especially in more budget models. Therefore, fan heaters can cost between 23p to upwards of 46p per hour to run on full power.
Fan heaters are typically a lot lighter and easily portable. The oscillation angle and automatic tilting fan head are designed to spread warmth across a 90-degree angle in each direction for an efficient distribution of heat around the room.
Convection heaters
Typically, convector heaters have a wattage of around 2000W across the board. There are some low wattage models available, but a majority out there sport the 2kW power output with pride. As such, the lack of available settings available on convector heaters make them quite expensive to run at roughly 46p per hour.
'Radiators, electric panel heaters and convector heaters work by creating a convection current in a room. As the hot air rises, it circles to the other side of the room, cools and sinks and travels back along the floor to the heater to be reheated again,' explains Jonny Samuel, buying manager at Ryman. 'They take some time to heat a room, but once turned off the heat lingers.'
So, while the base cost to run a convector heater is generally higher than other types of electric heaters, there's a possibility you get some bang out of your buck as the heat remains for a little bit after the fact.
Halogen heaters
As a general rule of thumb, halogen heaters have a wattage of around 1200W. However, some models offer adjustable heat settings of 400, 800, and 1200W. Each setting uses around 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2kW per hour respectively. Therefore, you can expect running costs of between 9p to 27p per hour depending on your desired setting.
'Halogen heaters prove the cheapest option and one of the best products when it comes to heating a room quickly,' explains James Longley, managing director at Utility Bidder. This is because halogen heaters are directional, allowing you to feel the heat instantly.
Martin Lewis has also agreed that halogen heaters are a recommended source of warming your home this winter, as they are the cheapest to run. The cost to run is also dependent on the size and power you purchase. Amazon's best seller, the Bellaco portable heater has over 1,900 positive reviews.
However, Jonny Samuel at Ryman does note that the biggest draw of a halogen heater – its directional heat – is also one of its downfalls. 'As soon as you turn them off, the heat quickly dissipates.'
Oil-filled heaters
The wattage of an oil-filled heaters can range anywhere between 500W to 2500W, with its kWh ranging between 0.5 to 2.5kW per hour. This means that the cost of running an oil-filled heater can fall between 11p and can reach as high as 57p per hour, depending on the specific model and setting you use.
Oil-filled heaters have been proven to be very energy-efficient, quiet, and safe for households with children and pets. 'Oil-filled heaters are one of the cheapest options as they are great at retaining heat even after being turned off meaning you spend less heating up the room. They provide a slow and steady heat that can be cost-effective,' assures Jess at BestHeating.
Although prices can go up to 57p per hour, this still works out cheaper than the cost of running central heating for an hour.
Infrared heaters
'Infrared heaters produce heat that is a product of invisible light. This is done by converting electricity into radiant heat,' explains James Longley at Utility Bidder. 'This heat is effectively the same heat feeling we would get from the winter sun, and an infrared heating panel would commonly be visualised as being a long panel with radiant orange light.'
Generally speaking, infrared heaters hold a wattage of anywhere between 900W to 2000W, depending on whether you opt for infrared heating panels or something more akin to an infrared patio heater. Therefore, the cost to run can range from 20p to 46p per hour.
James continues, 'With this in mind, infrared heaters can be used as heating solutions for the whole home, or simply as a conventional heater to keep an immediate space warm alongside your home's central heating system.'
If you want to implement infrared heating in your home as a regular system, infrared heaters panels are easy to install and commonly appear in size and shape like a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. These panels are available in lower wattages but will ultimately work for longer in the day.
Radiator bar-style heaters
Radiator bar-style heaters vary greatly, with some being very small with wattages of only around 300W whilst some can go as big as 2500W. Therefore, the cost of running this heating starts at 6p and can go up to 57p per hour.
However, despite some of the smallest radiator bar-style heaters starting at just 3kWh, they won't necessarily heat the room up as quickly, meaning you could need them on for longer and still end up using more electricity overall than with a fan or convection heater.
However, Stephen Hankinson, an energy-efficiency expert at Electric Radiators Direct does note that 'compared to convection (or fan), radiant heat lasts longer and isn't affected by air movement, so it does a great job at keeping us cosy.'
'For maximum efficiency, look out for ceramic radiators which are able to produce much more radiant heat. As ceramic has excellent thermal properties, these radiators offer up to 50% of their warmth as infrared heat,' he adds. 'If you need fast-acting warmth, its convection abilities are still there to deliver, but with a much slower cooldown time to keep running costs low.'
The verdict: what is the cheapest electric heater to run?
The verdict is in and we can say that in considering both the cost to run per hour as well as how quickly you can expect to actually feel warm, a halogen heater is the cheapest electric heater to run. Not only are halogen heaters cheap to run, but they are effective at getting the job done, so we think that investing in this type of electric heater this winter will ensure you the best value for money.
However, it is worth noting that even the electric heater with the lowest running costs will eventually rack up your bills with prolonged use.
If we take the potential highest cost of running a halogen heater of 27p per hour and you use it for around 8 hours everyday, this comes out to a daily cost of £2.16 and upwards of £64.80 over a 30-day period. This is almost half of the average monthly energy bill of a UK household, who can expect to pay around £1,713 a year on energy bills or around £142 a month, according to the upcoming October 2024 energy price cap.
Therefore, if you want to reduce costs even more, it's worth looking at how much you pay for your gas and electricity. You might be able to save money by switching to a cheaper tariff or supplier.
Use a price comparison website like Go.Compare to see whether you can save money by switching.
FAQs
Can outdoor halogen heaters be used indoors?
Heaters designed for outdoor-use should never be used indoors, and outdoor halogen heaters are not designed for installation or use in bedrooms, living rooms or any other space, since they are not suitable for being used all day long.
Are halogen heaters cheaper to run than fan heaters?
The answer is, yes, they are, as they give off less heat, therefore using less power. If you're also wondering how much it costs to run an oil-filled radiator, we have a separate guide, but be sure to look at any heater with a thermostat to control the temperature.
Ultimately, James at Utility Bidder concludes, 'The consensus is that the most effective product for you all depends on factors such as electricity rates, efficiency, and your overall usage.'
