Make sure you pick the correct sized heater for the room you intend to heat.
If you heat a room of 14m² with a heater of 1200W it will cost around
If you heated the same room with a heater of 1600W it will cost about
Over 3 winter months that could cost
If you are the only person in a room that needs heat, use a low wattage radiant heater of 750W rather than a 1200W convection heater. That could save you 25p in a 4 hour day (or around £23 = 77kg of CO₂ if that heater was on for the 3 winter months).
Carefully control the time you have the heater on and use a timer if it has one. If not, buy a timer switch for the plug. A 1200W heater left on even when you are out still costs about 17p per hour – what a waste! If you did this for 1 hour per day over the 3 winter months, that adds up to £15 = 51kg of CO₂.
They avoid the energy waste of overheating a room.
Make sure you select a portable heater of the correct wattage for the size of the room you want to heat (most heaters come with a room sizing table).
If you want to heat a whole room, the best option is a convection heater. One of the most cost effective types is an oil filled radiator.
To heat a single person or a small area in a room select a radiant heater. Halogen heaters are particularly cost effective.
If you are trying to heat a badly insulated room such as a workshop or garden shed, it is probably best to select a radiant heater.
Choose a heater that has all of the current safety features. Make sure the heater carries the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) label.
