United Kingdom Heating
How much does it cost to run an electric heater?
A plug-in heater converts every watt it draws into heat, so the running cost is set by its wattage, the hours it is on and your electricity rate. There is no efficient or inefficient electric heater: a 1,500 watt fan heater, a ceramic heater and an oil-filled radiator all cost the same per hour at full power.
A 2 kW electric heater costs about 39p an hour to run in Great Britain at 26.32 pence per kWh. Running it 8 hours a day cycling 75% of the time comes to about £3.16 a day, £96.13 a month and £1,154 a year.
- Price: Ofgem cap, Oct to Dec 2026
- Wattage range with its source
- Checked 26 October 2026
Uses 12 kWh a day, 365 kWh a month, at 26.32 pence per kWh (Great Britain (price cap average)).
The dial places the daily cost between a 50 watt fan and a 4.5 kW water heater on 2.5 hours a day.
A 2 kW electric heater costs about 39p an hour to run in Great Britain at 26.32 pence per kWh. Running it 8 hours a day cycling 75% of the time comes to about £3.16 a day, £96.13 a month and £1,154 a year.
What this assumes
The default is a 2 kW electric heater running 8 hours a day, drawing full power 75% of the time it is switched on (the rest of the time a thermostat or sensor has it idle). Published typical ratings run from 1,000 to 3,000 watts. Your label or manual gives the exact figure, and the calculator takes it.
The price is the Ofgem price cap unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. The cap for 1 January to 31 March 2027 is announced in late November 2026. A fixed tariff, a time-of-use plan or a different payment method changes the rate, which is why the rate field is editable.
Cost by wattage and hours at the price cap rate
At 26.32p per kWh, running flat out. Multiply by the share of the time your thermostat keeps the element on.
| Power | 1 hour | 8 hours | 24 hours | A week at 8 hours a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | 26p | £2.11 | £6.32 | £14.74 |
| 2 kW | 53p | £4.21 | £12.63 | £29.48 |
| 3 kW | 79p | £6.32 | £18.95 | £44.22 |
How an electric heater uses electricity
In the United States most portable heaters top out at 1,500 watts because that is the most a standard 120 volt outlet can safely supply. In the United Kingdom, where sockets are 230 volt, 2,000 and 3,000 watt heaters are common, which is why a UK heater costs more per hour.
The thermostat matters more than the brand. Once the room reaches the set temperature the element switches off and the heater draws almost nothing until the room cools. In a small, insulated room a heater on a thermostat may run only half the time, so this page assumes it is drawing full power three quarters of the time it is switched on. Set the duty to 100% if yours runs flat out.
Heating one room with a plug-in heater is cheaper than heating the whole house, but heating the whole house with several of them is almost always dearer than gas central heating or a heat pump, which deliver two to four units of heat per unit of electricity.
Ways to cut the cost
- Close the door of the room you are heating.
- Use the thermostat and the lowest setting that keeps you comfortable.
- A timer that switches the heater off at bedtime saves the hours you would not notice anyway.
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to run a space heater or central heating?
For one room, a space heater is usually cheaper because you are heating a few hundred cubic feet instead of the whole house. For the whole house, central heating wins. Gas heat costs a fraction of resistance electric heat per unit of warmth, and a heat pump delivers two to four times the heat per kilowatt hour.
Does a 1,500 watt heater really use 1.5 kWh every hour?
Only at full power with the thermostat never satisfied. Most of the time it cycles. A heater that runs half the time uses 0.75 kWh an hour, so the real cost is often lower than the headline figure.
Which type of electric heater is cheapest to run?
None. Fan, ceramic, halogen, infrared and oil-filled heaters all turn electricity into heat at the same rate. What differs is how the heat is delivered: a radiant heater warms you faster in a draughty space, an oil-filled radiator keeps a closed room steady on a thermostat.
Other heating costs
More in the UK
Sources
The electricity price on this page is read from the data file that also lists the release it came from. The wattage range is a published typical range, not a measurement of your appliance.