Radiator vs electric heater – which is cheaper?

With high energy prices and lower temperatures, we all want to know the best way to save on energy bills.

We’ve already looked at the best time to put on heating, and compared fan vs oil heaters, wood-burning stoves vs central heating, and heated airer vs tumble dryer. Now, we compare radiators vs electric heaters to find out which is cheaper.

Getting out of a warm bed to switch on the electric heater when your radiator could heat up your home might not be that appealing, but could it save you money?

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That’s because it can be more expensive to run your central heating throughout a property rather than just warming up the room you’re in. But is the difference worth the inconvenience? We find out.

How much does it cost to run a radiator?

According to Census 2021, two-thirds of UK households (73%) get their heating and hot water from mains gas, making them the most common type of central heating system in the UK.

Expert Jo Alsop from The Heating Hub, explains how to work out the cost of running your home’s central heating system.

Actual costs will vary depending on many factors, including how cold it is and the type of boiler you have. But as a rough guide, based on the January price cap gas rate of 6.24p per kilowatt hour (kWh), it costs an average of about 29p per hour to run your central heating.

According to The Heating Hub, the average UK household uses 9,000kWh of gas for heating across six months, amounting to 49kWh per day on average, which might rise to 70kWh for heating on colder days.

So it would be a total cost of £86 per month based on the price cap, or £2.90 a day. This is if you use the heating for 10 hours every day, say between 5am to 9am and 4pm to 10pm.

The biggest advantage of radiators is that they will heat your entire home evenly and let you make full use of every room. This all-round warmth provides immense comfort and is not possible from other forms of heating.

Other benefits include the convenience factor: you can normally “set and forget” an automated heating system or enjoy flexibility with app-based control systems. You can also install new components and heat sources like underfloor pipes as required.

The drawbacks of central heating are, of course, the higher running cost and the fact you’ll be without heating if you experience any blackouts.

How much does it cost to run an electric heater?

Fewer people use electric heaters to heat their homes. According to Census 2021, only 2.1 million households across England and Wales had electric-only heating, constituting around 9% of all households.

Electric heaters are great if you want to heat up a single room without switching on your central heating system. However, how much you pay for it depends on the wattage — the more power it uses, the more expensive it becomes to run.

There are several types of electric heaters, including fan heaters, oil heaters and convectors. A typical heater generally has a wattage of around 1,500W, and considering the average January price cap electricity rate is 24.5p per kWh, it would cost about £110 per month.

Of course, depending on what kind of electric heater you have, the cost could either go up or down.

As for the pros of electric heating, they’re easy to install and are portable, making it easier to take them from one room to another. They also don’t require much maintenance.

However, make sure you stay safe. Don’t leave them running when you’re not at home and only buy from trusted manufacturers who meet the appropriate standards. You should also not use them to dry clothes or plug them into an extension cord, as they could overload and cause a fire.

The verdict - is an electric heater cheaper than central heating?

It’s no secret that electricity is more expensive than gas, costing 24.5p per kWh as compared to 6.24p for gas.

If you use an electric heater for ten hours a day, this would cost you around £24 more than central heating — bearing in mind that this might increase based on your wattage and usage, and only works its magic in a single room.

Therefore, the cheaper option would be to switch on your central heating. If you’re looking to heat up a single area, you can turn radiators off at the valve in the empty rooms.