Fan heater vs oil heater – which is cheaper to run?

More than half of an average UK household bill is made up of heating the home, so we compare fan heater vs oil heater to see which is cheaper to run. 

The research, by Energy Saving Trust means the cost of heating your home is a big concern for many households despite the government’s energy price guarantee freezing average annual bills at £2,500 until April 2023, this is still almost double last winter’s price cap of £1,277.

To keep a lid on costs, it’s helpful to know when the best time is to put your heating on and whether you should keep the central heating on all day on low. 

Can portable heaters also help you lower your costs further, heating the room you are in instead of your whole home? Let's find out. 

Fan heater vs oil heater – which is cheaper to run?

How much does it cost to run a fan heater?

Fan heaters and oil heaters are both types of electric heating, which according to our sister site GoodTo.com, cost around 68p per hour to run, based on a 2kW electric heater.

•  You can purchase one for a reasonable price, like a fan heater from Dunelm costs only £14, and it gives extra information on their website- the heater costs 68p per hour to run.  
• This Dunelm DF Fan Heater costs only £14 and the running costs are advertised as about 68p an hour. The Dunelm DF Fan Heater also has thermostatic control so you can control its temperature and an overheat protection feature for safety precautions. 

Some of the pros of fan heaters are their convenience and that they’re easy to move from room to room.

However, Martyn Allen, technical director of the charity Electrical Safety First, warns that “heaters should never be left switched on at night and never powered via an extension lead.”

Here are some other factors you should consider before buying a fan heater. 

The size of your room. If you have a big room or high ceilings, it will be harder to warm the room with a fan heater as it will require more energy to heat a bigger space. So judge the size of the room you are heating and make sure a fan heater is a cost-effective way of heating it. 

The insulation you have in place. The last thing you want when the heater is on is for the heat to be lost in seconds. A fan heater will be a lot more effective if your insulation levels are good, which means there’s less chance of heat being lost from windows or walls. If you’re looking to get your home better insulated, check to see if you qualify for any government grants under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, like ones for loft and cavity wall insulation. If you’re looking for a quick win, putting cling film on your windows is an option to keep the heat in. 

Fan heaters give off short-term heat, so the minute you put it on it will heat the room, but once you switch it off the heat will disappear. If you want to heat a room temporarily, then a fan heater is a good idea but if you want to maintain the heat in the room, a fan heater isn’t your answer. You might be better off turning the central heating on.

If you do choose to put the fan heater on, there are small things you can do to ensure you keep the heat in, for example, keep the doors closed so the heat doesn’t escape, you can get door draught excluders, and even put curtains in so less heat is lost through the windows.  

How much does it cost to run an oil heater?

The cost of buying and running an oil heater varies depending on how much energy it uses. 

Our sister site Goodto.com found that a 2.5kW oil heater costs 85p per hour to run and if used for four hours a day, costs £3.40 per day to run.

For example, a small and affordable oil heater can cost as little as £28 or you could pay up to £49 for a more powerful heater that uses 2,000 watts of energy and costs 68p per hour to run. 

Pros and cons of oil heaters:

You have the flexibility of shopping around for an oil heater at a price that suits you.

Some come with temperature controllers which can help you cut energy costs, as the trick to keep energy costs low is to only heat the rooms you’re using.

Oil heaters have good heat retention. So when you switch the oil heater off, it takes a while to cool the oil down which means even when it’s off the heater is still giving off heat. This means less energy is required to heat a room, further cutting your energy costs. But be mindful that oil heaters only provide a short-term solution, so if you’re trying to maintain the heat in a room for more than a couple of hours, it could be better to flick the central heating on. 

Heating a room also usually makes the air dry, yet an oil heater retains a good airflow so you can enjoy the clear air and warmth without risk to your health. According to Healthline, dry air increases the risk of health issues such as asthma and respiratory problems, dehydration, especially in winter. 

When it comes to safety, “oil-filled heaters are generally safer to use than fan heaters as there is no fan motor that may become blocked,” Allen from Electrical Safety First adds.

The verdict

If we break it down in terms of which is cheaper to use, both types of heater have similar running costs, but an oil heater is typically more expensive to buy than a fan heater (when comparing models with the same wattage). It’s down to how powerful your heater is. 

Both heaters have temperature controllers (depending on the model) which lets you take control of the level of heat you want and the cost associated with it. 

However, an oil heater may actually be cheaper to run, when you factor in the residual heat after the heater is turned off. Other benefits of oil heaters are that they are safer to use and they don’t make the air dry like fan heaters. 

A tip if you are investing in a new heater, whether it’s oil or fan, make sure that specific room has a good level of insulation so it can retain heat better. 

Here are quick fixes you can make to keep the heat in a room: 

• Invest in curtains to reduce heat loss from windows
• Try putting cling film on windows
• Keep doors closed
• Use a draught excluder around doors and windows

If you’re able to pay a bit more for a heater we consider the oil heater the overall winner.

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