What are the Best Electric Radiators?
Nowadays, there are many methods of heating your home. The real question is, what is the best electric heating system to do so? A range of products has excellent, intelligent features developed to be more efficient in heating your home, such as some room heaters, most electric radiators and electric storage heaters.
The use of electric radiators powered by renewable resources such as solar panels or wind turbines can reduce the carbon footprint of your home. There is an argument to be made about which of these is the best, which will be discussed within this article. Primarily, the focus is on what the best electric radiator is; let’s dive in!
Can you get the best electric radiators replaced for FREE?
If you already have the best electric radiators we many not be able to replace them but there are other measures we can install in your home free of charge as part of the grant.
It’s likely that you qualify for the Energy Company Obligation program if you own or rent a property that is electrically heated and receive the right combination of income-related benefits.
- Receive Income-Related Benefits
- Homeowner or Private Tenant
- Have Electrically Heated Property
What are the Best Electric Radiators UK households want?
To answer this, perhaps we should begin by defining what an electric radiator is. Over time, electrical radiators have undertaken many improvements by brilliant minds to make them more reliable and cost-efficient with better temperature control. We will focus on energy efficient heaters and electric radiators that don’t produce carbon dioxide since they don’t burn fuel.
How Does An Electric Radiator Work?
When the electricity has passed through the heating element of an electric radiator (called an electrical resistor), the heat is then released. This is why it is named so because the machine converts electricity into heat for your home.
These energy-efficient electric radiators are pretty compact in our modern-day world; therefore, they can slot into small rooms too. Some modern electric radiators use different coolants to produce heat, such as mineral oils. You may not be surprised to hear that these are called oil filled radiators. The amount of heat produced by an electric radiator varies depending on what temperature you choose on the thermostat, so it is easily controlled. However, the radiator can be purchased without a heating thermostat to be integrated into your home’s central heating system. It is connected to your boiler or heat pump to be run from a centralised remote control point.
How to Compare Electric Radiators with Electric Storage Heaters
Although this article discusses the best electric radiator to purchase, there is the consideration of electric storage heaters as an alternative.
The best wall mounted electric radiators in your home can also be said for storage heaters. These are also wall-mounted and connect to your electricity supply just as the wall mounted electric radiators would.
The primary difference between these two heating systems is that electric storage heaters often contain a series of ceramic bricks that can store heat through the night then release it during the day. With night heater, it is possible to be on an economy 10 tariff or economy 7 storage heaters electric tariff. Therefore, it would be much cheaper to heat your home, keeping the heating bills low.
Why Could Electric Storage Heaters be Better for My Home?
This depends on many variables, but there could be a chance that even the best electric radiators wall mounted in your home with central heating might not be as valuable as a storage heater.
Storage heaters are a lot more energy-efficient and can save you a lot of money if you choose the right tariff. However, they take up slightly more room than electric radiators tend to, despite still being a wall mounted radiator. Another advantage of electric storage heaters is that they are deemed very reliable compared to an energy efficient radiator due to their ability to retain the heat they produce.
Radiator heating systems rely on hot water, pumps, and a variety of expensive components, such as boilers and pumps, that require maintenance in order to function properly. In contrast, electric radiators don’t have many moving parts. All they do is convert electricity into heat. When a storage heater is installed, they require very little maintenance moving forward.
Modern electric radiators offer adjustable thermostat that allows to set desired temperature. They can also protect your family thanks to child lock but the energy usage and running costs may still be higher in comparison to night storage heater that has more energy saving features. Especially because modern ESHs have intelligent thermostat and provide cost effective even heat distribution.
An electric heater might be more beneficial in your home if it is a tiny space or if you want slightly more control over the heat settings. Storage heaters are great when you want the heat to release slowly through the day to maintain a constant cosy temperature. Your home will also stay nice and warm through the night.
If you are struggling to decide what heating system is best for you, check your eligibility below, and we would be happy to aid you in your decision!
The Electric Room Heater to Storage Heater Replacement Grant with UK Energy Support
At UK Energy Support, we work with the UK government to replace inefficient electric radiators with brand new storage heaters. The electric room heater to storage heater replacement grant is a part of the government’s ECO scheme (Energy Company Obligation). This government energy efficiency scheme aims to help reduce carbon emissions in Britain and help lower fuel poverty of low-income families and individuals.
You might qualify for this grant to replace your old electric radiator; check your eligibility today! It only takes a couple of minutes. Once you have submitted your details, one of our energy advisors can contact you to arrange your fully funded storage heater upgrade.
We want to help as many people in the UK as possible to stay warm in their own homes and help save the planet. Tackling fuel poverty and carbon emissions are lofty tasks. Still, you can join in and get yourself a free energy-efficient heating system upgrade! What is there to lose?
How to get the best electric heaters for FREE?
Through the ECO scheme established by the UK government, we can install an indoor electric heater in your home entirely for free!
The ECO4 scheme seeks to bring energy-efficient heating measures to vulnerable or low-income households across the UK in a bid to lower carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
To qualify, you must be on a particular benefit or have a low EPC rating for your home. These benefits include:
Which benefits qualify for best electric radiators replacement grant:
- Child Benefits (based on household income)
- Child Tax Credits (CTC)
- Housing Benefit NEW
- Income based Jobseekers allowance (JSA)
- Income related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support (IS)
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit NEW
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Warm Homes Discount Scheme
- Working Tax Credit (WTC)
Are all Electric Radiators the Same?
As there are different radiators running on gas central heating or electricity, you might question whether they are all the same.
This is why discussing the best electric radiator offer is essential when considering what you want to select for your home (keep in mind that there are other heating systems, such as storage heaters).
There are different types of electric radiators and heaters, all boasting various advantages of why they are better than other types.
Some have panel heaters or towel rails for your convenience and programmable thermostat.
Even you have to consider the different brands and technologies they use and your budget! But fear not, we will discuss the types of electric radiators next.
What are the Different Types of Best Electric Radiators?
There are four categories of electric radiators that depend on their specific characteristics. These are:
- Oil-based
- Fan heater
- Infrared
- Convection
Oil-Based Electric Radiators
As briefly discussed above, oil filled electric heater contains specifically mineral oil. The heating element heats the oil and then passes through to the cover of the radiator and into your home, keeping it nice and toasty. There are plenty of fire safety features to make this electric radiator option utterly safe in your home (unlike old conventional radiators). It is also a quiet machine and has easy mobility! The only flaw to this type of electric radiator is that it doesn’t distribute heat evenly in a room, not providing a consistent temperature. This is due to the outer cover of the radiator’s rapid heating process.
Fan Heaters
This type of radiator is made up of a fan and a heater – simple! The fan ensures a consistently controlled airflow and temperature, providing quick-spreading heat distribution for comfortable heating experience. There is a built-in digital thermostat and heat settings on this type of radiator, which allow to switch off the fan after you reach the perfect temperature you selected. You can also control the fan rotation speed, which, when used for long periods, acts as an overheat protection. This type of radiator heats your home swiftly, even in large spaces. On the other hand, cons include the inability to work in a high humidity room.Infrared Radiators
This type of electric radiator is a relatively new development in the heating world. The new technology is gaining popularity quickly. When comparing infrared radiators to other electric radiator heaters, they use electromagnetic waves to heat the room while keeping the electric panel radiators cool. It does not need anti frost mode as it is used to heat small spaces fast. As the device itself does not heat the air, plenty of safety sensors are implemented that can turn off the radiator in a rollover. Infrared radiators have simple controls and usually produce more heat than needed.
Convection Radiators
Convection heating works as cold air falls to the bottom of a room, therefore, beneath a convection radiator’s lower grid, it can then pass through the heating elements, where it is heated. The hot air which is the heat source can then exit and rise to the top of a room, creating a circular system of heating any given space. This simple functioning electric radiator allows the continuous movement of warm air to create a steady warm temperature for your home.
The convector of a radiator is simply a metal casing with mounting brackets with built-in heating elements that can be controlled by a thermostat, like many other types of heating systems and central heating. The most significant advantage of this type of radiator is that it does not dry the air out, nor is it susceptible to moisture in the air. It does not burn any oxygen, and it is simple to assemble. They may not provide instant heat or make the room warm quickly but convection radiators are still popular choice among UK home owners.
How Do I Know What Size Electric Radiator I Need?
What size electric radiators should you get if you are still content to find the best wall mounted electric heaters out there rather than a wall mount electric storage heater?
It isn’t the size of the actual radiator you need to consider (unless you are basing it upon the size of a particular room); it is the heat output that you need to focus on.
With electric heating, the higher the heat output is, doesn’t necessarily correlate to the size of the radiator.
You’ve heard of the saying “good things come in small packages,” which goes for electric radiators. There are plenty of radiators of small size which have excellent heat outputs, but there are others of the same extent that are not so good.
It all depends on the size of space in your home that will need heating.
Best heater for a large room will need additional electric element in the radiator body to create more significant heat outputs to keep them at a comfortably warm temperature.
It also depends on how insulated your home is.
The wattage is the crucial information to consider when you choose electric heating.
Find radiator calculator online to help you decide this if you are determined to get an electric radiator over a storage heater.
This is a government backed scheme
How Do I Know if I am Eligible for Electric Room Heater to the Storage Heater Replacement Grant?
Despite the best electric heaters and radiators out there, will you turn this energy-efficient opportunity down to heat your home effectively if you are eligible for a free electric storage heater?
We encourage you to check your eligibility for this government grant because it could be highly beneficial to you and your home helping you decrease the running costs of your home electric heating system with sophisticated technology and save money.
Whether you qualify for this electric heating upgrade grant depends on a few factors:
- How insulated your home is (but you might also be entitled to free insulation grants!)
- What type of walls your home has (cavity walls or solid walls)
- The number of bedrooms
- The kind of home you live in
When assessing your home for an electric storage heater, these factors are kept in mind because it helps calculate the amount you could save in energy. By having a more energy-efficient electric heating system in place for heating your home, the higher the grant provided might be to get it in place.
Many homeowners have installed their storage electric heaters for free because of the government scheme, so check your eligibility now!
Don't wait! Apply Today
The ECO4 grant has launched in April last year. The applications are now open so hurry if you don’t want to miss out on a FREE electric radiators replacement or insulation grant.