Is it cheaper to use an electric heater instead of putting the central heating on?

A drop in temperature combined with rising energy costs means more households will face higher bills this Christmas.

While energy prices fell in October, the lack of government support this winter means many will pay even more.

A one-bedroom property, or a low-use home, is expected to pay more than £25 more a month, since last year.

With this in mind, we look at how to keep energy consumption and bills down while staying warm this Christmas.

Should you turn on the heating?

Central heating is one of the most expensive ways to heat your home, especially when prices remain so high.

Ofgem’s current price cap caps the price of gas at 6.89p/kWh and electricity at 27.35p/kWH.

This means that a 24kW gas boiler costs £1.65 to run for an hour, while an average 12kW electric boiler (or eight radiators) would cost £3.28 per hour.

Running an electric boiler heating four radiators in your home would cost £1.64 an hour, similar to a gas boiler.

If a gas boiler is left on for eight hours a day, it would cost you £13.20 a day, or £92.40 a week. A 24kW electric boiler is even more expensive, costing £19.44 for 8 hours a day and £136.08 a week.

In January, the maximum price will increase to 7.42 pence/kWh for gas and 28.62 pence/kWh for electricity. This means a 24kW gas boiler will cost £1.78 to run for an hour, while a 24kW electric boiler will cost £3.43.

Depending on the type of boiler you have, it is clear that having it on for even a few hours can cost you a good amount of money.

There are ways to reduce consumption and bills, but don’t neglect your radiators completely.

Turning them on, even briefly, will help keep your walls warm and prevent problems like damp and mold.

And to make sure you heat only the rooms you use, consider turning off the valves on radiators in other rooms.

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Heaters

A electric heater It can be a good alternative to central heating, especially if you have an electric boiler that costs a lot to run.

Using a heater limits the amount used and, depending on how well insulated your home is, can help warm the room for some time.

The average electric heater uses 2kW of energy per hour, meaning it costs 54.7p per hour to run, compared to £3.28 for a 24kW electric boiler.

If you live in a smaller house and have an electric boiler that heats four radiators, it will cost you around £1.64 an hour and you can get one for as little as £30.

Home insurance specialist Howden Insurance said: “If you are looking to heat a larger space but are still worried about paying full price to have the heating on, electric heaters could provide a more cost-effective solution, although not as efficient as others. options”. , these are still a great cheaper alternative.’

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A oil heater is another option if you want to keep costs down. It uses electricity to heat a thermal oil reservoir inside the heater. When heated, all the heat created is transferred to the liquid.

On average, it uses around 1.5kW of energy, meaning it costs just 41p per hour to run, or £3.28 for eight hours a day.

You can buy one for as little as £40-50, but be aware that they take a little longer to start giving off heat, so you may need to use it for longer than an electric heater.

Finally, infrared heaters They are another cost-effective and energy efficient way to heat a room. They could set you back as little as £40 and cost 30.08p per hour to run on an average 1.1kW heater.

Infrared heaters do not heat the air like oil and electric heaters do, but rather they emit infrared radiation that only heats the objects it touches.

It means that they use all the heat they produce and there is no loss in transfer, but it also means that it is not the most efficient way to heat a large room.

Infrared heaters work as soon as they are turned on, but they also stop radiating heat once they are turned off. Since the air is not heated, the room will lose heat very quickly.

hot water bottle

A hot water bottle is a great way to keep warm at home without using central heating.

An average 3kW kettle, when full, costs less than a penny to boil for one minute and around 1p to boil for 10 minutes.

It won’t necessarily need to be refilled every hour, so it could be much cheaper than even an electric blanket.

However, there are ways to reduce its use if you are a fan of a hot water bottle. The Energy Saving Trust recommends purchasing an eco-friendly kettle that only boils the amount of water needed, as it can save 20 per cent less energy than a conventional electric kettle.

It also says that if you avoid overfilling your kettle, you could save £11 a year.

electric blanket

An electric blanket has become a popular option, especially for those who live alone or feel the cold easily.

Heating yourself instead of heating a room can help you reduce costs dramatically. The average power rating of an electric blanket is around 0.1kWh, meaning it costs 2.73p per hour to run.

There are plenty of blankets on sale, starting from as little as £40, so it could be a good investment to cut your bills.

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: ‘Heated blankets and hot water bottles can be used to warm your bed before bed, and may mean you don’t need the heating on for as long in your bedroom.

“A 100W electric blanket used for an hour would cost 3p, while running a kettle for ten minutes to fill a hot water bottle would cost around 1p.”