cost to run an Heated Towel Rad

sheffielduk

Ive got an electric towel radiator in bathroom (electric one only) the heating element is 150w, so is it going to be expensive to run,im aware it takes about an hour to warm up.but this time of year its brass monkeys in there,
thanks.

ChrisEvanson

150kw is equivalent to 1 unit of electricity every 6-7 hours

HappyMJ

150W is almost nothing. It won't cost much at all to run. It's only 3.6kWh for 24 hours and at let's say 12p per kWH that's about 43 pence per day or £155 per year but it shouldn't be quite as much as that as it should have a thermostat reducing the usage and I would guess you turn it off for summer and at night.

sheffielduk

thanks for that info, i wasnt aware how it was worked out (electric that is) happymj i have to read things like that a few times before the penny drops ;-).
it wont be on during summer,mainly evenings, would a timer be better to use? for obvious reasons.
thanks

macman

Same cost as 1.5 100W light bulbs if you prefer. Cheap, but pretty inadequate as a heater-all it will do is as described (warm your towels).

jalexa

sheffielduk wrote: »

im aware it takes about an hour to warm up.but this time of year its brass monkeys in there,
thanks.

In that case it has real value, not so much to warm towels but to dry them in cool ambient conditions.

Your choice. The trick is to save money for 3 seasons and spend if necessary when it is cold.

sheffielduk

Same cost as 1.5 100W light bulbs if you prefer. Cheap, but pretty inadequate as a heater-all it will do is as described (warm your towels).
point taken macman. would a 250w or 400w element be better? i had mine on for the first time all night and to be fair all it did was just take the coldness away,but wouldnt really know it was on untill u touched it.

HappyMJ

A towel rail heater heats towels. If you want a room heater it will need to be a 1kw/2kw wall mounted electric fan heater or an electric bar heater which would heat you whilst it is on.

LesU

In addition to the above comments, most heated towel rails have a built-in thermostat to regulate the temperature. The cost of running the towel rail will therefore be somewhat less than has been stated. Increasing the wattage of the element without increasing the size of the radiator won't change the amount of heat output at all. All it will do is speed up the heating to the set temperature.
Don't try and use a towel heater as a space heater. The towels act as insulation and stop any heat from going into the room.

Katy_P_2

i have had this problem with my mothers bathroom, what about a 250 watt would this be any better? She needs a warm bathroom but we wanted something practical and moved it next to the walk in shower, i think we have a 150 at the moment but i cant be 100% sure.

macman

No, 250W is equivalent to a quarter of a bar on an electric fire. Better than 150W, but it will not heat a bathroom.