Are fan heaters expensive to run?
For instant heat, they can't be beaten but will these electric heaters bump up your energy bills? Here's everything you need to know
There are many times when you might reach for a fan heater: perhaps there’s a chill in the air but it’s not quite cold enough to turn on the central heating, or perhaps the room is just about warm enough but your toes still feel frosty. Maybe you have a conservatory or some other outside space that could use a shot of warmth before you venture in.
Whatever the reason, there’s always the worry that using a fan heater means using a lot of extra energy, meaning much bigger bills. Compared to other heating methods, such as electric heaters and oil-filled radiators, are fan heaters efficient? Or is there a cheaper way to keep toasty?
We’ve asked the experts to explain the highs and lows of fan heaters: how they work, how much running a fan heater costs on average and how they stack up against other heaters.
What is a fan heater?
A fan heater is a portable electric heater that combines a heating element with a fan to distribute that heat around a space. Some can even double up as cooling fans during the warmer months by running without switching on the heating element.
“As a small and lightweight option, fan heaters are portable and can be used easily in any room, quickly warming up a small space”, says Katie Holland, marketing manager for Russell Hobbs at Product Care Group. “Although fan heaters are small, they do use a lot of energy to run, especially when heating larger spaces, even for a shorter period of time. This means they are more expensive to run than alternatives.”
Is a fan heater different from a ceramic heater?
Given that the fan heaters of old gained a reputation for being insatiably energy hungry while having a tendency to smell a bit funky, it’s no surprise that many modern fan heaters try to steer clear of that label. New-to-the-market fan heaters are often rebranded as ceramic heaters to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Ceramic heaters are still fan heaters though, in that they use a fan to distribute their heat. In essence, ceramic heaters are fan heaters, but not all fan heaters are ceramic heaters. “Ceramic is typically in reference to the heating element itself”, explains Alex Litcan, category manager at De’Longhi. “A ceramic heating element provides more stable, odourless heat due to the reduced expansion tendencies of ceramic versus metal.”
Typically, fan heaters that don’t use a ceramic plate instead rely on a metal filament to generate heat. However, labels aside, there’s one clear advantage of choosing a ceramic fan heater: “Because a ceramic element retains heat, ceramic heaters use less energy than a traditional fan heater”, reveals Katie Holland. “The element can cycle on and off less while still giving the same level of heat.”
Why use a fan heater?
When you need direct heat in a specific place and fast, a fan heater is ideal: “Fan heaters are perfect for scenarios where you may require short bursts of heat, or only want to warm a certain section”, says Alex Litcan. “For example, an hour in the garage to work on a bicycle, motorcycle or car, spending some time in a spare bedroom for a hobby, or for personal heating when working, not having to heat the whole house.”
Conversely, there are situations when a fan heater won’t be suitable. For instance, if you’re trying to heat a large space, or if you need quiet – a fan heater on a high speed can be noisy.
Are fan heaters expensive to run?
Each fan heater gives an idea of the maximum amount of energy it uses either as a simple wattage or described in kilowatts – for example, 2,000W would be 2kW.
To work out the fan heater cost at its highest usage, you’ll need the wattage in kilowatts to calculate its consumption in kilowatts per hour (kWh), then compare it to how much you pay your energy supplier per kWh of electricity. For example, if you pay 24.5p for a kWh of electricity, and you’re running a 2,000W fan heater on maximum for an hour, it could cost up to 49p.
Of course, once the element is hot, the fan will use less energy by itself, so the cost is likely to be lower than this. How much lower will depend on the efficiency of the heater as they also have thermostats which turn the fan/element off once it’s reached the desired temperature, and only turn back on again after the temperature drops.
“In general, the energy that you put in, is the energy that you get out”, reveals Alex. “A smart approach to the use of fan heaters can make them very effective.”
Is there a cheaper alternative to a fan heater?
If you have central heating, it’s almost certainly the most affordable way to heat your home. However, for times when you’re only using one room, or you need to warm a space that doesn’t have a radiator, choose a standalone heater that best fits your needs.
“Convector heaters are the closest alternative to fan heaters that provide quick, but radiant instead of directional, heat”, says Alex. “Where heat is required for a longer period – overnight, for example – oil-filled radiators provide the most effective solution at providing even radiant heat to keep an area warm.”
Generally, fan heaters are one of the more expensive ways to heat a room, particularly over a long period, because of their higher energy use. However, if you need instant heat for a short amount of time, a fan heater may be more cost-effective than waiting for another type of heater to warm up. For example, if you have to wait an hour for a 2kW convector heater to warm up, it could potentially use more power than blasting a 2kW fan heater on full for 20 minutes.
If you feel that a fan heater is right for you, check out our roundup of the best fan heaters.
