Are Fan Heaters Expensive To Run?

The cost of running a heater fan depends on several factors, including the wattage of the heater fan, the time it is used, the cost of electricity and the efficiency of the heater fan. Knowing the wattage of the heater fan, you can predict the cost of running the heater fan. We'll go into more detail about the running costs of a heater fan, and how to choose the right energy efficient heater fan for you in the following article.

 

What Is A Fan Heater？

 

A heater is a type of electric heater that generates heat through an electric heating element and blows hot air into the room through a built-in fan. These heaters are usually small and portable and are often used to quickly heat a localised area of a room or a small room.

 

How Much Does A Fan Heater Cost To Run？

 

Fan heaters are usually rated in the range of 500-2500W, which is equivalent to telling you how much power he consumes per hour, and then calculating the total power consumption based on your heating time.

 

Energy rates are usually expressed in kilowatt hours, so we can use the following formula to find the total energy spent. Power (kw) x Time x Energy price. Based on 2023 UK market prices, unit electricity costs are typically £0.15/kWh to £0.25/kWh or more. Therefore, a 2KW power fan heater. £0.25 for one hour of use per day and £2 for eight hours of use per day.

 

Is a Fan Heater Cheaper Than The Central Heating?

 

The central heating method is also more common in the UK. The power of the heating depends largely on the boiler, a gas boiler heats water by burning natural gas and then piping the hot water to radiators or an underfloor heating system to heat the room.

Natural gas boilers have two types of consumption, one that consumes tens to hundreds of watts of electricity per hour. One is the natural gas combustion consumption. An average domestic natural gas boiler (e.g. a model with a power of between 20 kW and 40 kW) usually consumes between 1 cubic metre and 3 cubic metres of natural gas per hour. (This is an approximate range and exact values may vary depending on the boiler model and other factors.) The price of natural gas is usually between 3p/kWh and 5p/kWh. The calorific value of natural gas is approximately 11.2 kWh/cubic metre (this value may vary slightly depending on the quality of the gas), which then gives a price of £0.34 - £0.56/cubic metre for 1 cubic metre of natural gas, which would make the cost of a natural gas boiler £1.12 - £1.68 per hour of use. 

The comparison concludes that using a heater in a small room is more cost effective. However, natural gas heating is usually used in flats and office buildings. Fan heaters are more suitable for individual use in small rooms.

 

How to Choose The Right Heater Fan

 

Room size: The right size of room is very important, if the room is too big it will not allow the room to reach the desired temperature. A room that is too small can lead to wasted energy.

 

Safety: the safety of the fan heater is very important, overheating protection, anti-tipping protection, and flame retardant materials are all necessary when you suddenly have other things to do or take a lunch break.

 

Heating type: There are different types of fan heaters such as convection, radiant and wind driven. Convection heaters are suitable for heating larger rooms evenly, while radiant heaters are more suitable for localised heating of smaller areas. The wind-driven type is better suited for even temperature rise in the room house for more comfort.

 

Thermostatic control: Choose a heater with an inbuilt thermostat so that you can maintain a constant temperature inside the house at all times. It also helps to save energy and provides a more comfortable environment.

 

Fan heaters are are more suitable for heating small rooms and localised areas to reduce unnecessary energy wastage, but of course there are drawbacks, they are not suitable for heating larger rooms. Welcome to consult CROSSBOW, our Heating & Cooling Fan can give you more options.