Can anyone recmomend a good low-energy portable heater/radiator

nudnik
nudnik Posts: 19 Forumite
in LPG, heating oil, solid & other fuels
The flat that we are about to move into has just one main radiator in the hallway so we want to buy a couple of low energy heaters that will heat up small to medium sized rooms effectively without having to be left on for ages or costing too much money. The flat we are moving into has flats on both sides, above and below and has double glazing so we are hoping it will insulate quite well.

If anyone can recommend a good low energy heater that would be most helpful!
«13

Comments

  • moonrakerz
    moonrakerz Posts: 8,650 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    A "low energy" heater will produce a low amount of heat.

    I would assume that you are talking about electrical heaters as these tend to be the easiest to buy and install.
    These tend to be 100% efficient; if it says it is rated at 2kW it will give out 2kW of heat. At present prices this will cost about 25p per hour if used continuously.
    Your choice then is:- fan heater, convector or radiator; each have their own advantages or disadvantages - but all (if rated the same) will give out exactly the same amount of heat.
  • nudnik
    nudnik Posts: 19 Forumite
    moonrakerz wrote: »
    A "low energy" heater will produce a low amount of heat.

    I would assume that you are talking about electrical heaters as these tend to be the easiest to buy and install.
    These tend to be 100% efficient; if it says it is rated at 2kW it will give out 2kW of heat. At present prices this will cost about 25p per hour if used continuously.
    Your choice then is:- fan heater, convector or radiator; each have their own advantages or disadvantages - but all (if rated the same) will give out exactly the same amount of heat.

    Basically any heater that we can just plug in to the mains, be it electric or oil filled. We just want a heater that will heat a room efficiently without costing too much to do so.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Rampant Recycler
    nudnik wrote: »
    Basically any heater that we can just plug in to the mains, be it electric or oil filled. We just want a heater that will heat a room efficiently without costing too much to do so.

    Then there is absolutely no difference in running costs(as indicated above).

    A £10 heater of any kind will produce exactly the same amount of heat as the most expensive heater on the market.
  • cjdean
    cjdean Posts: 17 Forumite
    edited 19 November 2009 at 9:17AM
    Sorry to step in here so late however I too would like to ask a similar question and share my experiences.

    From personal experience I have found oil filled heaters do the job better. They are virtually silent. They may take longer to warm up a room, however I personally find them more homely as they hold their heat when the thermostat kicks in. The fan heaters on the other hand will heat up the room much quicker but are quite loud and bulky.

    Did you pick up a heater in the end? What were your experiences? My question is, has anyone tried Halogen heaters, or any other kind? or have any other suggestions for low power heating?
  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    If you want to heat your property using less electricity you need something like an air source heat pump fitted externally but expect to pay around £2K. Other than that some heaters heat up and cool down slowly, others heat up and cool down more quickly but you get exactly the same amount of heat produced for every KWH put in. Halogen heaters are no different, no heater can magically create heat however much you wish it was so.
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
  • frankie
    frankie Posts: 845 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Have you thought about portable lpg heaters?

    Not sure though how these compare to running electric heaters in terms of efficiency/costs.
  • cjdean
    cjdean Posts: 17 Forumite
    My main problem is that I live on a canal boat so saving space is quite important... Can you get minature LPG heaters?
  • cjdean
    cjdean Posts: 17 Forumite
    I just popped down to the local market and they have portable LPG heaters for £15 and gas canisters for £5 for 4. Has anyone any experience using these? How long will one can last?
  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    I lived on a boat for a while, we had a wood-burning stove which was very economical. Be aware that gas heaters kick out a lot of of water so you will need to ventilate well.
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
  • bestcara1
    bestcara1 Posts: 6 Forumite
    Elke heaters are supposed to be VERY economical, their UK importer is at Bridlington, East Yorkshire
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173K Life & Family
  • 247.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards