Energy efficient heater for your home
If you are considering investing in an energy efficient heater, it can be difficult to decide what would work best for you and your home.
This article will tell you more about the different types of energy efficient electric heaters and how much you can save on heating costs and running costs when you use best electric heating system.
Using electric storage heaters is not only better for you in the long run, but also improves your environmental impact as you conserve energy, not to mention you can get the for free as part of the Energy Company Obligation Scheme (find out more about free storage heaters).
Check if You Qualify for a Free Energy Efficient Heaters
For replacement of an electric heating that is old and faulty, you may qualify for an ECO4 scheme grant if you:
- Are a Homeowner or Private Tenant
- Receive Income-Related Benefits
- Have Electrically Heated Property
What are the different types of energy efficient heaters?
You might find yourself overwhelmed by the options for energy efficient electric heaters on the market. There is a wide variety, starting from energy efficient portable heater to fan heaters, with many types in between.
Taking into account energy efficiency, we have put together a list of the best electric heaters and gas heaters on offer in the UK below.
Wall-mounted energy efficient storage heater (ESH)
With fixed energy efficient electric heaters, homes can easily be heated without a gas supply. These are highly popular options for loft extensions and conservatories, as they don’t necessitate new pipework. But if your home does not have a main gas central heating, you should consider having electric storage heaters installed.
Why?
An electric storage heater is a form of an electric heater energy saving optimised that’s energy efficient according to the Energy Company Obligation scheme published by the UK government. You can have old and inefficient room heaters replaced with electric storage heaters that run on economy 7 heating tariff or economy 10 tariff, free of charge, as part of the ECO4 grant because they improve your property’s energy efficiency rating, called EPC. You can find out if you’re eligible for the grant below.
You won’t need a plumber to install a fixed energy saving heater; you will just need to secure the heaters to the wall and provide power per hour.
Additionally, they are usually equipped with many more options to control the heating, such as being WiFi-enabled or with digital thermostat controls!
Why not?
If you heat your home with a gas central heating system that has been recently installed, this may not be the best choice for you, as replacing your radiators may be costly and not covered by the grant.
Fixed gas heater
Fixed gas heaters tend to come in multiple forms, from being wall mounted to free standing. These are an alternative to a central heating system and come in both electric and gas forms. Fixed gas heaters are popular for heating colder areas, such as landings and hallways, as well as bigger rooms.
Why?
They run on a low cost fuel, which can be useful if you have a lot of space to heat quickly. The power output is typically quite fast and requires
They produce a considerable level of heating output in a short amount of time and are often small enough not to take up a huge amount of room.
Why not?
It is more challenging to be energy efficient using fixed gas heaters.
If a gas heating breaks, it will require maintenance and frequent servicing to check that it’s still safe to be used, which can become costly over time. If you do want a fixed heater, we would recommend investing in electric space heaters or fixed electric heaters.
Portable electric space heater
Portable electric heaters (otherwise known as energy efficient space heaters) are used to produce heat in a specific area without the high costs of heating.
These portable space heaters are easy to use and easily manoeuvred to wherever you need them without the hassle of requiring regular maintenance or servicing.
Why?
An energy efficient space heater is ideal for a house that doesn’t have a central heating system fitted without taking up the space of a boiler. They are ideal for filling a small room with heat. A space heater also doesn’t burn fuel internally, so there’s no risk of dangerous gases being released that can damage your health.
Why not?
If you intend to use a low energy portable room heater as your main heating system, you may find that the costs soon outweigh the benefits. This is because small electric heaters aren’t intended to function as an entire heating system.
Portable gas radiator
A portable heater that uses gas can be useful if you don’t want to heat a large room over a long period. You can use them to help keep your energy bills low without overheating your home.
Why?
The fuel for portable gas radiators is relatively cheap, and many heaters will only require a service once every six months to a year. Many modern gas heaters are capable of lasting up to fifteen years while also being energy efficient and easy to install.
Why not?
Using portable heaters does run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if it isn’t installed correctly or breaks down. You should be aware that as gas prices rise it might become more expensive to generate more energy with this form of heater. These are not intended for use in unventilated rooms as there is a higher risk of damage to health, which means they couldn’t be used in a bedroom or other living space.
Oil-filled radiator heater
Oil filled radiators are most recommended for people who prefer to heat a whole room.
Why?
Investing in oil filled radiators is to invest in a long term heating solution. They are typically cheap to run and require very little upkeep as the oil does not require frequent changing. Many best electric radiators will often come with a separate plug in thermostat to help you monitor and control the heating output in your home. They are well known for being excellent at retaining heat for a long period and require little energy to run.
Why not?
Unlike other heating solutions, electric oil filled radiators aren’t portable and can be expensive to install. An oil filled radiator is often slow to heat up, and they need a consistent electricity supply. If your radiator breaks, you will have to hire a specific maintenance technician as they can’t be fixed by anyone.
Convection panel (or convector heaters)
A convection panel heater (otherwise known as convector heaters) uses electrical currents that run through the appliance to warm up the heating element. They heat up the room with the air that’s already circulating, meaning the rooms of your home won’t overheat.
Why?
You can leave a convection heater on for long periods, and they’re energy efficient.
Why not?
While a convector heater is good for the environment, they’re only energy efficient if used for a few hours at a time. They don’t heat as quickly as other forms of space heater and don’t stay warm for long afterwards either.
Infrared heater
An infrared heater is able to heat a room very quickly using an electromagnet. These kinds of heaters specifically target objects and people rather than the entire room.
Why?
An infrared heater can be used in multiple places and are incredibly durable. They bring almost instant heat, and their costs are typically much lower than other electric space heaters. They use targeted heating methods to warm up people and objects rather than whole rooms. The low wattage means that they are cheap to run in the long term.
Why not?
This form of focused heating isn’t recommended for entire rooms as it only works best at whatever it is pointed at, which can leave the room feeling cold. It can be expensive in the long term for people who use it for more than just warming themselves up.
Other heaters on the market:
You can also find other heaters on the market that might be more appropriate. These include:
- Halogen heaters: Halogen heaters are ideal for indoor and outdoor use as they provide instant heat as soon as they’re turned on. There is no risk of carbon monoxide due to no gases being released along with easy installation. However, halogen heaters can be expensive to run and only create heat for specific areas at a time.
- Fan heaters: energy efficient fan heater is similar to a space heater but use a fan to push heated air into the room but have been known to consume a large amount of electricity if they’re used over a long period.
- Ceramic heaters: Ceramic fan heaters are considered to be one of the safest and most efficient forms of fan heaters as they are quick to warm up and make very little noise. A ceramic fan heater is often a cheap investment, but a room can lose heat quickly per hour when it is turned off.
Electric heater that’s energy efficient
Even though there are many factors that can influence how efficient a certain type of electric heater can be, such as whether it is used indoors or outdoors, what is its power rating, or the model, one can nonetheless say some types are more energy efficient than others.
Since we improve homes energy efficiency on a daily basis, funded by energy suppliers, we had to choose electric storage heaters that meet the government criteria of low energy electric heaters. For that reason, we chose Elnur Electric Storage Heaters.
Why choose Elnur Electric Heaters?
We pick this brand because:
- They’re the most low energy electric heater on the market
- The efficient and modern controls allow you to control heating output as well as other overheat protection methods
- They are high retention which means they remain cool to the touch even as they produce hot air thanks to high-quality insulation.
- Thanks to fan assisted distribution you won’t experience overheating in your rooms
- The temperature sensor can adjust the heat being released depending on your room, meaning you don’t have to use manual controls
- There is a twelve-year warranty on this particular Elnur product.
- Thanks to the UK government’s Energy Company Obligation scheme, you could get one of an electric storage heater entirely for free if you meet certain qualifying criteria.
Energy efficient heater FAQ
Here at UKES, we want you to experience the best electric heaters on offer, as well as to feel confident in the different options out there.
We’ve put together this section of FAQs to answer any questions you might have about most energy efficient heater.
How do electric heater save energy?
This could be through a portable electric heater, halogen heater, fan heater or electric space heaters.
Is it expensive to run an energy efficient electric heater?
Which form of electric heating should I pick?
If you are considering investing in the majority of space heaters, you should be aware of how you’re going to run them. This could be through the Economy 7 electric tariff or, if you are using oil filled radiators, you should have a reliable electricity supply.
What type of heater is cheapest to run?
Is it cheaper to use an energy efficient electric heater?
Yes! Not only is a small electric heater energy efficient, but it can also be cheaper than installing an entire central heating system.
Other advantages of the cheapest electric saving heater include:
- No need to pay for maintenance, as most electric heaters have no moving parts
- Using energy-efficient electric space heaters means that you’re not spending additional money on energy as 100% will be used. Standalone heaters are known to use less energy in order to emit heat per hour.
- Investing in smart heaters means you could have more control than ever, such as with a remote control, WiFi connectivity or a digital thermostat.
- You decide which rooms receive heating output thanks to modern thermostat controls on the majority of space heater models.
- Ideal for heating one room or a small space without having to pay further heating bills if you use most space heaters.
Are electric heaters cheaper than gas?
Investing in an energy saving electric heater may be costly initially but even this is worth it in certain circumstances, especially if you use the Economy 7 electricity tariff. We most recommend that you buy an electric storage heater over portable electric heaters, as they can be used to release heat when you need it, either in one blast or per hour.
This is a government backed scheme
How to qualify for the Energy Efficient Heater replacement funding?
Electric room heater to Storage heater replacement grant criteria in line with the ECO4 requirements
Homeowner or Private Tenant
Landlord
If you’re a landlord and your tenants are on benefits (or the Council participates in LA Flex scheme), you can encourage them to check if they are eligible and improve the energy efficiency of your property for many years to come.
Local authority has grants available
Income Benefits Recipents
- Child Benefits
- Child Tax Credits
- Housing Benefit NEW
- Income based Jobseekers allowance
- Income related Employment & Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
- Pension Credit Savings Credit NEW
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Warm Home Discount Scheme
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 energy efficient heater replacement grant to replace your old electric room heater with modern storage heater.