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Housekeeping

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Recommendation for electric heater that’s cheap to run please

20 replies

GoodNewsAndBadNews · 01/10/2025 02:22

I’m looking for an electric heater that I can buy my mum - she won’t put the heating on during the day and it gets chilly in her sitting room. I don’t mind spending a bit on the actual heater but I don’t want her electricity bill to increase too much. Is there such a thing? TIA


If you've landed here looking for heater recommendations, take a look at our guide to the best electric heaters, all handpicked by Mumsnet editors and with running costs included. We hope it's helpful!

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OP posts:
Netaporter · 01/10/2025 02:55

Any electric heater will be expensive to run i’m afraid (fans etc) but Martin Lewis always recommends heating the human not the space so with that in mind, could you look at a heated throw? Halogen heaters also are designed to heat the person not the space so might be a better option?

Claricecannotsleep · 01/10/2025 03:10

Oil filed radiators are good.

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Keepingittogetherstepbystep · 01/10/2025 03:11

I got my mum a neckband heater from b&m.

Heated gilets and hoodies are good as they run off a power pack so the person doesn't get cold when they need to move elsewhere

MummySharkDoodoododoo · 01/10/2025 10:15

Does she definitely want one? If she doesn't want the heating on in the day, maybe she just isn't feeling cold enough? Maybe I'm speaking out of turn. We don't have our heating on at all yet, and other people do comment that it's cold, but we are active/busy most of the time and don't want it too warm in here. We are happy with how it is. I do get chilly for the last hour or so before bed, but that's because I've just stopped for the day and sat doing nothing for a while. But I soon get into my warm bed and sleep fine.

If she does want something then I agree with others, a heated blanket or something would be better.
And warm socks/slippers as if your feet are cold, it's much harder to feel warm in general.

Elbowpatch · 01/10/2025 10:20

All electric heaters cost the same to run. The only way to reduce the cost is by reducing their heat output.

MemorableTrenchcoat · 02/10/2025 13:52

No, there is no such thing, unless you buy a (very expensive) split unit, which is basically a small heat pump. Gas is about a quarter of the price of electricity per unit, so encourage your mum to use her central heating.

Notdanishsusan · 02/10/2025 14:00

I disagree that there aren’t any. Infrared heaters are great. A bit of a pricier initial outlay but cost about 40% of the price to run the oil filled ones.

They feel lovely (like standing in front of a window on a sunny day) and heat the objects in the room in the same way, rather than kicking out warm air that disappears.

It's definitely worth getting the thermostat ones, usually an extra £20 from memory because you can just set them to the room temperature you want instead of faffing switching on and off.

And you can get ones that look like mirrors. We have one in the baby’s room. So while we’re all freezing overnight his room is lovely and totally controlled.

IlovetoKnitandRead · 02/10/2025 14:02

A 2kw heater will cost the same to run as every other 2kw heater. It depends on you cost of your kw hour from your supplier. A thermostatic oil filled radiator will take longer to heat up and switch on and off to maintain the heat. An element based heater will be instantaneous heat. We don't have central heating so use oil filled radiators with thermostats.
If your mum has gas central heating it will be cheaper to run than an electric heater.

Reasontoreason · 02/10/2025 14:05

How about a Cala gas fire

Tiredofwhataboutery · 02/10/2025 14:07

Notdanishsusan · 02/10/2025 14:00

I disagree that there aren’t any. Infrared heaters are great. A bit of a pricier initial outlay but cost about 40% of the price to run the oil filled ones.

They feel lovely (like standing in front of a window on a sunny day) and heat the objects in the room in the same way, rather than kicking out warm air that disappears.

It's definitely worth getting the thermostat ones, usually an extra £20 from memory because you can just set them to the room temperature you want instead of faffing switching on and off.

And you can get ones that look like mirrors. We have one in the baby’s room. So while we’re all freezing overnight his room is lovely and totally controlled.

Edited

I have an infrared heater I use for working from home which is lovely. I always think it’s traumatic going for a wee though so I tend to leave the towel heater on in there to take the chill off too.

Notdanishsusan · 02/10/2025 14:13

Tiredofwhataboutery · 02/10/2025 14:07

I have an infrared heater I use for working from home which is lovely. I always think it’s traumatic going for a wee though so I tend to leave the towel heater on in there to take the chill off too.

We’ve just ordered another one for the home office actually.

I love that they don’t give you that ‘still cold but sweaty under the arms’ feeling that portable heaters do.

Limehawkmoth · 02/10/2025 15:02

It’s all very well to say heat the person not the room…the issue is hands. I get very cold hands that make me feel so cold…you can’t put gloves on and still beable to do anything. I stitch and read when at home …coldhands make stitching impossible. I’m retired and sitting wrapped up like a mummy all day is not practical!

the other thing to look at OP, is to forget electrical heating and instead look into smart radiator thermostats . As others have said gas is cheaper.

you can then set individual temperatures and schedules for each room. So get more heat into sitting rooms, less into halls etc. I have upstairs switched off most of day for instance. But can easily turn on form app if I decide I want to go upstairs to crafting room that day. I heat bedrooms warming in morning, and cooler at night as can’t sleep in hot room. I have kitchen diner warm at breakfast, then lower during rest of day when just flitting in and out fully dressed. And I can focus heat in sitting room where I’m most sedentary. I even set different schedules n different days of week dependant on when I have stuff I regularly attend outside the home.

you do need to go back to old practice I grew up with before central heating, which keeping doors shut so rooms are thermally isolated when you’re heating just what you need.

You need a plumber to put in new receiver etc on boiler and put new valves in.

The kit isn’t cheap, but I love the flexibility and know most of time I’m heating the room I’m actually using. The app ( hive in my case) is great. I can switch heating on or up easily on my phone, I can also check if I’m feeling cold genuinely because it is cold in room or I just need to move about a bit 🤷‍♀️.

bills are significantly lower this year despite having a warmer sitting room during day. I have more piece of mind to know I’m only heating where I need and warm hands!

have a look at that in terms of costs, but if mum isn’t good with apps it’ll not work for her.

IlovetoKnitandRead · 02/10/2025 16:45

Reasontoreason · 02/10/2025 14:05

How about a Cala gas fire

Gas cannisters are really expensive now and need changing by someone who can lift them. If she has gas central heating then with radiator valves it will be the cheapest way to heat the home.

IlovetoKnitandRead · 02/10/2025 16:50

It would be better to have central heating on timer and valves on the radiators rather than spend money on a new system.
I wish we were on mains gas. Our electricity bill is crazy in the winter.
If the house is old sometimes a dehumidifier can help make the air feel warmer if there is dampness.

ConBatulations · 02/10/2025 17:06

It's often not more expensive to have gas central heating on all day rather than twice a day. It's the heating up not keeping warm that costs. Does assume a reasonable level of insulation, draught proofing and timer and room thermostat controls. Set a lower flow temperature so the house heats up more slowly but the boiler is working more efficiently. Blanket and heat pads are helpful when when sitting still. Electric heaters are much more expensive to run.

Autumnlife · 02/10/2025 19:39

During the day I’d use a heated throw if I’m sat down. This time of year it’s freezing in the morning and by midday it’s about 18c and quite warm. I usually wear snuggly clothes sweatpants and thermal tops from M&S when I’m home. I can highly recommend the dreamland heated throw.

Getupat8amnow · 02/10/2025 19:56

We have a small 500 watt DeLonghi oil filled radiator that we use in the living room. It throws out lots of heat for such a small radiator, it is easy to move round and the running costs are one quarter of a 2 kilowatt oil filled radiator. I highly recommend it.

MemorableTrenchcoat · 02/10/2025 22:58

Getupat8amnow · 02/10/2025 19:56

We have a small 500 watt DeLonghi oil filled radiator that we use in the living room. It throws out lots of heat for such a small radiator, it is easy to move round and the running costs are one quarter of a 2 kilowatt oil filled radiator. I highly recommend it.

Worth noting, of course, that it puts out one quarter of the heat of a 2kW heater. In fact, for the same result, a 2kW heater would not cost you any more to run.

BoredZelda · 02/10/2025 23:21

The cheapest way to heat a person directly is with an infrared heater. Assuming a kw/h cost of 25p, an 800 w infrared heater will cost about 20p an hour. The cheapest way to heat a single room is an oil filled radiator. An 800w radiator costs the same amount per hour, but the difference is it doesn’t have to be “on” all the time to give out heat. Once the oil is hot, it stops pulling power. So whilst your infrared heater would be working for 8 hours to give you 8 hours of heat, for every hour your radiator is pulling power you will get up to 2 hours of heat. Amazon basics do a good range, and they have an eco mode to keep the costs down.

If she is avoiding putting the central heating on so it doesn’t heat the whole house then smart radiators on her central heating would be the best idea, but if she isn’t tech savvy, they can be difficult to control. And pricey. Your smart hub on the heating is about 150 quid, then there is a monthly cost, and each radiator valve starts at about £30 for the cheapest valve (Kasa) but you can pay up to 70 quid for each one so it’s probably not best for her.

GoodNewsAndBadNews · 03/10/2025 08:24

Thanks everyone - I like the idea of a heated throw or gilet. Have not heard of an infrared heater. Will do some googling

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