Which heater should I buy?

izzieuk

I have electric storage heating (sob) and even on cheap econ7 rate it is still very expensive to heat two rooms in the coldest winter.
My mum said she saw a heater once that was very very cheap to run, but she can't remember which. By heater I mean the kind you can cart about the house and plug in!
I've been looking through the Argos catalogue, but I am completely flummoxed by all the technical stuff and all the oil filled, non oil filled, fairy dust filled, etc.
Does anybody know what my mum might have been on about?!

Andy_WSM

Sorry, bad news I'm afraid. ALL electric heating is the same efficiency - i.e. what goes in is what comes out. There is no magic formula or fairy dust. If a heater is "cheap" to run that's because it doesn't give out much heat. The more heat it gives out the more it will cost to run.

izzieuk

The fairy dust bit was a joke...I'm really not that dense, promise!
I don't mind if it gives out less heat than most, to be honest the storage heaters don't give out much anyway.
All I wanted was somebodies advice on what is cheapest to run- dont worry about whether it will give out much heat, that is for me to consider!

Andy_WSM

The cheapest to run will be any heater with a low consumption (measured in Watts or Kw/h). Some heaters have a consumption of just 400W (approx 4 p an hour to run them), but in all honesty, you won't benefit from the heat output from them in a cold room.

Cardew

What is stated above is spot on - there is no difference in the efficiency of any electrical heater and hence cost to run.

You might as well buy a cheap 3kW fan heater from Argos or similar - around £20 for one with 3 settings and a thermostat. If you then put it on its lowest setting, with the thermostat turned down, it will be as economical as ANY other heater money can buy. You will also have the ability to turn it up when you realize that you are not getting enough heat. At maximum setting in a very cold room it will cost about 30p an hour to run.

Premier_2

Andy_WSM wrote: »

The cheapest to run will be any heater with a low consumption (measured in Watts or Kw/h). Some heaters have a consumption of just 400W (approx 4 p an hour to run them), but in all honesty, you won't benefit from the heat output from them in a cold room.

For about the same price, you could use a night storage heater rated at 1000W.

i.e. 2-3 times the heat output for the same price...that's why they were developed. (it's to soak up the spare capacity of the energy stations during periods of low demand)

izzieuk

Premier wrote: »

For about the same price, you could use a night storage heater rated at 1000W.

i.e. 2-3 times the heat output for the same price...that's why they were developed. (it's to soak up the spare capacity of the energy stations during periods of low demand)

I know where you're coming from, and I'm sure you're right, but my bills are about £50 a month in deep winter, and they don't give out all that much heat. I don't know if it;s because they're old or what. I'm not trying to be difficult, they're genuinely that terrible, which is why I was turning to a portable for help. I need to defrost my pets in the winter, poor things!
Anyway, I did some googling and apparently the oil filled ones are better.
I suppose it's a trial and error thing, and a matter of saving elec in other areas of the house to make up for it.

Cardew

izzieuk wrote: »

Anyway, I did some googling and apparently the oil filled ones are better.

Better than what?

Oil filled, water filled, convector heat, fan heater, infrared, granny's old 1/2/3 bar fire etc etc, For, say £1 you get exactly the same amount of heat.

The only difference is the way they deliver the heat. Oil filled radiators stay hotter for longer after power is switched off - but they take longer to warm up.

Andy_WSM

izzieuk wrote: »

my bills are about £50 a month in deep winter, and they don't give out all that much heat.

To be honest, at current prices, £50 a month in deep Winter isn't much at all. I think £100+ would be the norm in Winter for an all electric property.

izzieuk

I am heating a small 1 bedroom flat with two heaters. I wasn't aware I should be expecting £100+?
Never mind, I think I've got my answers now so thanks everyone, I am obviously not a very technically-minded individual!