What is the cheapest electric heater to run?

We've rounded it up so you don't have to

Winter is in full swing as temperatures plummet nationwide. and opting for an electric heater may just be one of the key ways to keep your house warm in winter. If you need a reminder of how much it costs to run an electric heater, but in bite-size form, we've rounded up which of the bunch is the cheapest to run so you can stay cost conscious even with the energy price cap increase.

Electric heaters are a viable option for many, allowing people to save energy at home if utilised correctly with a smart meter. If you're in a toss-up about which one to purchase to stave away the cold this winter, we have the verdict.

As temperatures drop dramatically, electric heaters are a great cost-efficient way to heat up your home rather than waiting for your central heating to get to your desired temperature. Here are different types of electric heaters you can expect to see on the market, and their cost to run.

Oil-filled heaters have been proven to be very energy efficient, quiet, and safe for households with children and pets. Experts at Ryman have calculated the cost of running this type of heater for an hour to be around 22p, however, this doesn't account for those that vary in size and power.

William Hobbs, energy expert at MyJobQuote recognises this variation, saying 'this means they can cost between 17p and 85p per hour to run.' Although prices can go up to 85p, this is still cheaper than the average cost of heating your home with a 24kW boiler which currently stands at 91p per hour.

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.

'Convector and fan heaters use about the same amount of power to work, typically 2kW. So, they cost up to 68p per hour to run,' says William Hobbs at MyJobQuote.

Jonny Samuel, buying manager at Ryman says that 'Radiators, electric panel heaters and convection heaters work by creating a convection current in a room. As the hot air rises, it circles around to the other side of the room, cools and sinks and travels back along the floor to the heater to be reheated again.'

As previously mentioned alongside fan heaters, William Hobbs at MyJobQuote says that both use around the same amount of power to work, therefore, incur a similar cost of around 68p.

'Halogen heaters are directional, so once on, you’ll instantly feel the heat. As soon as you turn them off, however, the heat quickly dissipates,' says Jonny Samuel at Ryman.

'Convection heaters, electric panel heaters or free-standing electric radiators work by heating the air around them to create a convection current. They take some time to heat a room, but once turned off the heat lingers.'

Martin Lewis has agreed that halogen heaters are a recommended source of warming your home this winter, as they are cheap to run. The cost to run is also dependent on the size and power you purchase, but you can expect to pay 41p per hour.

'Radiator bar-style heaters tend to use around 1.2kW of power while infrared panel heaters need as little as 300W of power. So, these heaters are often cheaper to run per hour,' says William Hobbs at MyJobQuote.

'But they won't necessarily heat the room up as quickly, meaning you could need them on for longer and therefore use more electricity overall than with a fan or convection heater.'

The verdict is in and we can say that in considering both cost to run per hour as well as how quickly you can expect to actually feel warm, a halogen heater is the way forward. Cheap to run and effective in getting the job done, we think that investing in this type of electric heater this winter will be the biggest bang for your buck.

Jullia Joson is Ideal Home's Junior Writer. She's always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham in 2022. Previously, she was an Intern Editor for ArchDaily. Now focused on news stories, Jullia can be found down the TikTok and Pinterest rabbit hole scrolling through any new and upcoming trends, hacks, and home inspiration.

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