Cheapest way to heat house - broken boiler :(

goggler

To add insult to injury this month, my boiler has now gone and broken. It's very old and the heat exchanger was unreliable, but we were managing, only it's now gone and sprung a leak too, so we have had to turn it off.

We are managing for hot water kettle/electric shower but I'm more conerned about the heating.

I have two children andneed to at least keep their rooms and the living room warm until I have scraped the money together to get a repair. We don't qualify for any grants.

What type of heater is the cheapest to run? It has to be safe enough to be left running in a bedroom too.

All info appreciated?

Plumber90

Probably a little electric oil heater.

Browntoa

Or hire a portable calor gas heater

Horizon81

I'd be going for oil filled radiators myself. Nothing smaller than 1500W otherwise they probably won't emit enough heat. They're often for sale in Aldi/Lidl/Poundstretcher and those sorts of places. It's worth looking in Toolstation and Screwfix as well. This one is decent value for 1500W:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/ndb-1c-15s-7fins-7-fin-oil-filled-radiator-1500w/92239?kpid=92239&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&kpid=92239&cm_mmc=Google-_-Shopping%20-%20Heating%20and%20Cooling-_-Shopping%20-%20Heating%20and%20Cooling&gclid=CNzoxMSG-MECFWnMtAod2wUAHw

I prefer this type over blow heaters or oscillating as they seem safer, plus when you turn them off, you get half an hour or so heat whilst they're cooling down. With blow heaters, when they're off they're off.

Another option (but one you'd need to keep an eye on) is calor gas heaters. The 'original factory shop' if you have one near you are selling the heaters for £45 I think, but of course you need to get a calor gas bottle delivered as well.

lstar337

Browntoa wrote: »

Or hire a portable calor gas heater

That would be more expensive and dangerous than electric heating.

Oil filled rads are likely to be your best stop-gap solution.

PasturesNew

The kids won't die if you don't heat their bedrooms. We never had heating. Just get some hot water bottles, make them wear socks/hats to bed and one day they'll tell the stories and laugh at how !!!!in' freezing they were.

You can give them a "treat" of 10 minutes with a fan heater right before they get into bed, if you want them to grow up a bit soft.

Plumber90

Browntoa wrote: »

Or hire a portable calor gas heater

Yeh because there good to leave on all night

Ebe_Scrooge

PasturesNew wrote: »

The kids won't die if you don't heat their bedrooms. We never had heating. Just get some hot water bottles, make them wear socks/hats to bed and one day they'll tell the stories and laugh at how !!!!in' freezing they were.

You can give them a "treat" of 10 minutes with a fan heater right before they get into bed, if you want them to grow up a bit soft.

I'd agree with this. It's surprising how warm a few extra blankets can keep you. If it's really cold, an electric blanket to warm the bed beforehand makes a big difference for little cost. You can pick one up for not much money from Argos / Tesco / Asda / wherever for not much money, and they're not very expensive to run. Actually, they're comparatively efficient, as you're only heating the small space that needs to be heated, rather than the whole room.

stickgal

Having moved from a really old house to another really old and single bricked house (Housing Association would you believe!) I am reliant on Halogen Heaters. I always keep an eye on my elec and mine work at 400w increments; (400,800 & 1200watts)
Ive read that the bulbs eventually blow but mine have lasted 10 years so far and you can now buy replacements.
I got mine for £9.99 from different places but I haven't seen them below £19.99 for a few years.
I haven't tried oil filled, but I wouldn't be without my halogens; I can store them in the summer and I can direct the heat. I have a gas fire but I've never used it as I use these to warm a room about 12 x 12 size.
Possible downsides are;
I wouldn't be happy leaving them on as I feel if anything fell on top of them they may ignite it (curtains etc).
There is no timer
They emit a bright orange glow, like a light when on (I don't use table lamps, no need) but might disturb sleep
They are a bit of a dust catcher in the reflective grids
Good points:
Directional or will pivot
Anti-tip mechanism which cuts out power if the unit falls over
Don't get hot around the back
Portable
Instant heat

I'm not trying to sway you from oil-filled and if an oil-filled gave me as much heat at a lower cost I would change them in a heartbeat.
I hope you find a solution but I hope this helps

Gloomendoom

PasturesNew wrote: »

The kids won't die if you don't heat their bedrooms. We never had heating. Just get some hot water bottles, make them wear socks/hats to bed and one day they'll tell the stories and laugh at how !!!!in' freezing they were.

You can give them a "treat" of 10 minutes with a fan heater right before they get into bed, if you want them to grow up a bit soft.

Got agree with this too. I was brought up in uninsulated house with just a fire in the sitting room. In the OP's situation I'd do the same, heat one room and put more blankets on the beds.

A Calor heater will have the walls running with condensation.

Mankysteve

Cheapest option is to probably fix the boiler. All electric heats cost the same to run. It's just how they deliver that heat that different.

As others have said only heat that room and use more blankets etc.