Heating Advice Needed

itsmedee

Hi All
have just had a conservatory built, which we are usuing as a dining room and need some kind of cheap to run heating in there as its freezing in the evenings. We cant put a radiator in there so thought of an electric heater, but am a bit concerned about the cost to run it. Any advice anyone on this?:cool: :huh:

sweetnskint

i thought halogen heaters... you can buy for about 12pound if shop around. will not cost too much if keep settings on low!

martindow

A wood burning stove would be very nice (and carbon neutral).

27col

There are no cheap to run heaters. If you are trying to heat an uninsulated conservatory you are on a loser all the way. There is probably no alternative to electric heating in your situation. All electric heaters cost the same to run, which type you use is down to how you use them.. There are plus points to convector heaters, or fan heaters, or even oil filled radiators. You can estimate the running costs by examining the rating plate on the heater. It will state the wattage, usually in kilowatts. The power used will be Rating(kw) x Hours of use = KwH

Your electricity bill will tell you what the charge per KwH is costing you.
Not difficult to work out. Have some tissues ready for when you discover how much, heavy use of your conservatory will cost.

ormus

basically you just use an oil filled rad and only use it when required. it just takes the edge off the chill.
always remember to switch it off when the room is empty.

itsmedee

Thanks all. I do have some insulation as i have cavity walls either side.

Jonesya

Have you considered an air-conditioning unit?

Many of them have the option to work as a heater, running the heat pump in reverse to pump heat from outside into the conservatory. The benefit from this is that for every unit of electricity you use you get several units of heat; the exact CoP varies depending on the particular unit and outside temperature but is normally around 3 so for every kwh of electricity you put into it you ~3 kwh of heat.

27col

If what you say is true, then we could all heat our houses for nothing, and there would not be an energy shortage. Perhaps someone would explain the principle of this miracle equipment to us laymen, and while you're at it, tell us why the energy producers don't use the free heat to produce electricity, and thus multiplying their profits by a zillion percent.