FEEL THE HEAT
Cheapest way to heat a room in your home revealed – and it could save you £229 this winter
Keep reading to learn how much different appliances cost to run
USING the wrong appliance to heat a room in your home could end up costing you hundreds of pounds extra.
If you spend most of your time in one room - if you work from home, for example - then it makes sense to heat just one room rather than your whole house or flat.
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The Sun has crunched the numbers to reveal the cheapest way to do it - and we’ve uncovered a simple mistake could cost you hundreds of pounds extra.
Is heating one room cheaper?
A gas-powered central heating system is generally the most economical way to heat an entire property as modern gas boilers are very efficient and electricity costs about four times more than gas per unit.
Under the current Ofgem energy price cap, electricity costs a maximum of 24.5p per kWh while gas is capped at 6.24p per kWh.
If you have a gas boiler and you’re looking to heat a single room for a period of time, the best method will depend on whether you can control the temperature in your home on a per-room basis.
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Use thermostatic radiator valves
A thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) is the small knob on the side of your radiator, with a numbered dial, usually from zero to five or six.
TRVs allow you to vary the temperature of different rooms in your home.
If you have gas central heating, the most efficient way to heat a room is to use TRVs to turn down – or switch off – the radiators in the rooms you don’t want to heat (i.e. bedrooms during the day) and turn them on again when you need to.
Liz Hunter, director at Money Expert, says: “This will significantly cut back the cost of your heating bill, whilst allowing you to maximise heat in the room you spend the most time in.
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Generally speaking, this approach will be cheaper than using an electric heater.
“The difference in cost will vary depending on current electricity and gas prices, the efficiency of your electric heater and central heating system, as well as the level of insulation in your home.”
Watch how clever contraption helps cut my energy bills by £130 a year
Smart controls
A smart heating system can automate controlling the temperature of different radiators.
It can also make it physically easier, as you can control your heating using your smartphone rather than having to walk round your home or move furniture to access radiator valves.
But it’s important to understand how smart controls work.
A single smart thermostat will simply replace an existing thermostat, with the added functionality of letting you set up or change your heating schedule online or remotely.
This can be handy if, for example, you accidentally leave the heating on when you go out and want to switch it off.
But a single smart thermostat will just control the heating in your home as a whole.
To set different temperatures in different rooms, you need a multi-room set up or “zonal heating” – this means each room will need a smart thermostat or a radiator with a smart valve.
James Clark, at smart heating control brand Wiser, says: “Room-to-room heating control via smart radiator thermostats can help you save up to 19% in energy usage, simply by heating only the rooms you’re using with individual control of each radiator in your home.
“A smart home heating system with zoned control means you have ultimate control over your heating and hot water, so you can monitor exactly where and when your energy is being used, and the cost of this.
"This means you won’t be wasting energy heating empty rooms.”
However, the upfront costs of “zonal heating” might put you off.
You’d pay roughly £50 to £80 for each smart thermostatic radiator valve, plus about £150 for a smart thermostat, and then installation fees on top.
The cost of using a standalone heater
If you don't have the option of using radiator controls, you may want to switch off the central heating and use a standalone heater in the room you’re occupying.
But this can be an expensive strategy if you use an electric fan heater, an electric convector heater, or an oil-filled radiator.
Options with cheaper running costs include a gas fireplace (if you already have one installed), halogen heaters and infrared heaters.
You can work out how much any type of heater costs to run per hour by carrying out a simple calculation: Divide the heater’s power by 1,000 to get kiloWatt hours, then multiply this figure by the unit cost of the type of energy.
A gas fire will run on gas (obviously), but other types of standalone heater will use electricity.
If you’re on a variable energy tariff, you’ll almost certainly be paying the maximum unit costs set by Ofgem (24.5p per kWh for electricity and 6.24p per kWh for gas).
If you have a fixed energy tariff, check your bill for the unit rates to use in the calculations.
As an example, here’s the calculation for a 2,000W electric heater using the current price cap: 2000/1000 = 2kWh, multiplied by 24.5p, which equals a cost of 49p/hour. That’s a lot.
The following table shows an estimate the typical cost of running each appliance for an hour.
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As the table shows, the 700W infrared heater is the cheapest to run. Infrared heaters warm objects and people directly rather than heating the air, making them efficient for spot heating.
You’ll need to factor in the purchase price though. As an example, a AENO Premium Eco AGH0003S-UK Smart Panel Heater costs £199.
In comparison, more power-hungry convector heaters are much cheaper to buy (about £30).
4 ways to keep your energy bills low
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won't even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you've let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven't browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
Heating the person
If you just want to keep yourself warm – not a whole room – you have several other options.
Matthew Sheeran, from at Money Wellness, says: “Heating the person is far cheaper.
A heated blanket costs around 2.7p an hour to run. You could also consider getting a heated gilet – available from about £8 on Amazon – or a hot water bottle or heating pad.”
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Rechargeable hand warmers can be an eco-friendly, cost-effective alternative to disposable heat packs and can last for hours.
And, obviously, you can invest in thermal layers, thick socks, and fleece-lined clothing to retain body heat.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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