ENERGY · RUNNING COSTS

What an electric heater costs to run

On the price cap from 1 October to 31 December 2026, a 2 kW electric heater at full power costs 52.6p an hour, in Great Britain on average and paying by Direct Debit. Put in your own model and region below.

Your region
Today's cap
Real models

An hour at full power

52.6p

At 26.32p a kWh: the cap's Great Britain average on Direct Debit, 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026.

A week: £3.69
A month: £16.01
A year: £192.15

The working

2 kW for 1 hour uses 2 kWh at full power.
2 kWh × 26.32p a kWh (Great Britain average, Direct Debit, VAT included) = 52.6p each time.
7 times a week is £3.69; × 52.14 weeks = £192.15 a year, or £16.01 a month.

The standing charge (54.83p a day here) isn't in these figures: you pay it whatever you run. On Economy 7 or another time-of-use tariff, the cost depends on when it runs and your supplier's rates.

Real models

Ratings from each maker's or retailer's page. Great Britain average, Direct Debit.

Model	Rating	An hour
Dimplex Desk Friend Ceramic Fan Heater (DDF390)	400 W	10.5p
Faithfull Power Plus Ceramic Fan Heater (FPPHEAT2KWC2), low setting	1 kW	26.3p
Russell Hobbs RHCH2001G Ceramic Fan Heater	2 kW	52.6p
Dimplex HeatLite Convector Heater 2kW (DXCV2001)	2 kW	52.6p
Dimplex ML Convector Heater 3kW with fan and timer (ML3TSTie7)	3 kW	79p

Where you live

A 2 kW electric heater at full power, on Direct Debit. The Great Britain average is 27.80p a kWh paying on receipt of a bill, and 25.52p on prepayment.

Region	A kWh	An hour	A year
Great Britain average	26.32p	52.6p	£192.15
Eastern England	26.61p	53.2p	£194.28
East Midlands	25.36p	50.7p	£185.09
London	26.60p	53.2p	£194.15
Merseyside and North Wales	27.86p	55.7p	£203.39
West Midlands	25.60p	51.2p	£186.90
North East England	25.46p	50.9p	£185.82
North West England	26.49p	53p	£193.37
Southern England	26.47p	52.9p	£193.20
South East England	26.88p	53.8p	£196.22
South Wales	26.55p	53.1p	£193.84
South West England	26.58p	53.2p	£194.05
Yorkshire	25.60p	51.2p	£186.90
South Scotland	26.11p	52.2p	£190.57
North Scotland	26.35p	52.7p	£192.33

A year is 1 hour a day, every day: my assumption, so put in your own use above.

Or the central heating

A kWh of heat in the room from each.

Heated by	A kWh of heat	2 kW of heat for an hour
An electric room heater (100% in SAP)	26.3p	52.6p
A gas boiler fitted in England since April 2018 (at least 92%)	8.7p	17.3p
A condensing gas boiler from 1998 or later (84%)	9.5p	19p
A non-condensing gas boiler from 1998 or later (74%)	10.8p	21.5p
A gas boiler from before 1998 (66%)	12.1p	24.1p

At the cap's Great Britain average on Direct Debit: electricity 26.32p and gas 7.97p a kWh. The government's home energy rating (SAP) counts an electric room heater as 100% efficient, a kWh of heat for each kWh of electricity, and a gas boiler at its own efficiency, so a kWh of the boiler's heat costs the gas rate divided by that. The older boilers' figures are the ones SAP uses when a boiler's own isn't known; 92% is the least a gas boiler fitted in England since April 2018 must reach.

This is the price of the heat alone. Warming one room with a heater and heating the whole home with the boiler are different questions, and how much heat each room needs isn't something I can price.

A gas boiler fitted after 2005 is most likely a condensing one. Another sign is a plastic flue, and a plastic pipe from its base through the wall to a drain. (Energy Saving Trust, Boiler types explained (last updated 20 May 2026))

The advertising rules' guidance on plug-in heaters says gas is cheaper than electricity at present (citing the Energy Saving Trust) and that, for heating a single room, a single central heating radiator would likely be cheaper to run. It also says ads shouldn't suggest a plug-in heater is an efficient alternative to central heating. (CAP advice, Electric plug-in heaters)

What it uses

The power in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) on the label on the heater, beside the model number, or in the manual. With more than one setting, the rating is the top one.

Does it always use this much? Not if it has a thermostat. Which? says that once the room reaches the set temperature the heater toggles on and off, so it doesn't run continuously. Lower heat settings draw less than the rating.

Spending less

Use an electric heater selectively, as a top-up or a fallback, rather than as your main heating. (Which?: Cheap electric heaters)
Find the lowest setting that still keeps you warm enough. (Which?: Cheap electric heaters)
Switch a portable heater off when you leave the room, and unplug it at night or when you go out. (Energy Saving Trust: Infrared heating explained)

Questions

How much does an electric heater cost to run?

A 2 kW electric heater at full power costs 52.6p an hour at the price cap's 26.32p a kWh (Great Britain average, Direct Debit, from 1 October to 31 December 2026). For 1 hour a day, every day, that's £192.15 a year. The calculator above takes your own model, use, region and how you pay.

How much electricity does an electric heater use?

Its rated power for every hour it heats at full output. Which? says most electric heaters run at a maximum of 2kW, so an hour on full uses 2kWh. A thermostat or a lower setting cuts that.

Is an electric heater cheaper than central heating?

Usually not. Citizens Advice says portable heaters usually cost a lot more to run than central heating. Which? says an electric heater can be cheaper for a short blast in a small area, but over a full day you're probably better off with central heating, which also gives a more stable temperature.

Do heaters with a thermostat use less electricity?

Yes, once the room is warm. A heater with a thermostat set toggles on and off when it reaches that temperature instead of running all the time. Which? notes cheaper dial thermostats are rarely 100% accurate.