Need Advice : Loft Heating

DrStrangeLug

Hello, I need some advice about heating our loft conversion.
My wife and I moved into this house last March and the entire house has central heating - except the loft conversion.   I work from home as a Software Developer and have since well before Covid-19.   We could go to the expense of installing a radiator in the loft, or I could buy a new energy efficient electrical heater to wall mount in the loft.

I'm thinking since I'm the only one in the house during the day I only really need to heat that one room and leave the rest of the house on a lower heating setting.  Is that going to be cheaper than running the central heating and warming the entire house?  (I'd leave the rest of the house at a much lower temperature setting and set the thermostat to warm up for when the wife came home).

So the essential question is would I be better off getting a radiator installed and heat the whole house, or get an electrical heater and just keep the loft warm enough to work in ?

Robin9

DrStrangeLug said:

..........................., or I could buy a new energy efficient electrical heater to wall mount in the loft.

.............

Lots of threads here - all electric heating is the same 100% efficient.
Don't be tempted by the magic dust type - -£20 from Argos will do the job just as well.

matelodave

AS Robin says, there's no such thing as an energy efficient electric heater - 1kwh in = 1kwh out so just get a cheapie from Argos or B&Q, Toolstation, Wicks, Screwfix etc. Fan heaters are even cheaper and cost just the same to run for the same amount of heat

Ectophile

If you are tempted to buy one of those ridiculously expensive German heaters advertised widely, save your money.  Pop down to your local electrical store and buy an oil-filled radiator.  It will be just as efficient.  Or, if you prefer, get a fan heater, or a panel heater, or an infra-red radiant one.  They are all 100% efficient.  The only difference is how they emit the heat.

macman

You could ad a rad to the loft and fit zone controls, but the payback period could be several years.

Gerry1

macman said:

You could ad a rad to the loft and fit zone controls, but the payback period could be several years.

Assuming the OP is a homeowner, it could be well worthwhile because it will add value to the property.  Given that working at home is likely form a substantial part of the New Normal, a study will be an attractive feature and prospective buyers will expect it to have proper central heating just like the rest of the house.