Home heating costs compared, from radiators to space heaters

Have you calculated how much you spend on that blow heater in the home office, or on oil to keep the house warm every day?

Oil-fired radiators radiate heat long after they've been switched off. File picture

When I received research results from the Irish energy-switching portal Switcher.ie recently comparing the costs of various forms of home heating by the hour and by the day, I was fascinated.

Have you given much thought to how much it is to roar up that blow heater in the home office, or exactly what you’re igniting in oil every day to get the whole house warm? The Switcher results are a useful snapshot of average costs.

According to the Central Statistics Office’s latest figures, 97% of homes in Ireland have central heating, with 37% using natural gas, 36% using oil and 12% electricity (storage heaters, heat pumps). I do have some notes to add regarding individual heat sources as, price aside, it’s not apples and oranges. First of all, here are the key findings for heating rooms from Switcher.ie.

Space heating

Infrared/halogen heaters (500w to 1500w) had an average daily cost of €3.12 and an hourly cost of 0.39c. They were the most cost-effective small-room heater type in the study. Surprise, surprise.

Ceramic heaters (750w to 1500w) had an average daily cost of €3.51 and an hourly cost of 0.44c. Switcher advises they are slow to heat, so potentially costly for large rooms.

Wall-mounted panel heaters (500w to 2000w) had an average daily cost of €3.90 and an hourly cost of 0.49c.

Oil-filled radiators (1000w to 2500w) had an average daily cost of €5.45 and an hourly cost of 0.68c. They radiate heat long after they’ve been switched off.

Fan heaters and freestanding convector heaters (1500w to 3000w) had average daily costs of between €7 and €7.79, up to €1 per hour. The costs depend upon size.

Full-house heating

Gas central heating averaged out between €10 and €16; electric central heating averaged out between €12 and €20; and oil-fired central heating averaged out between €13 and €22.

It’s important to note that these are averages, and the daily numbers could be a lot higher or lower depending on the size and insulation levels of the home, the patterns of usage, and the energy-saving savvy and circumstance of the householders including their number, age and health.

The scale and efficiency of various brands of space heaters will vary wildly. For electric devices and pumps, the energy tariff and type (kW/h) will have a noticeable impact on your supplier bill.

Running at lower prices per hour over the arc of a full day, central heating will average out, the least expensive warming a standard three-bedroom home and additionally handling hot water, if used diligently. Switcher advises: “Electric, portable heaters like infrared, ceramic and oil-filled radiators are great for heating one room efficiently, but buying an electric heater for every room would increase your electricity bill more than if you bumped up the heating controls.”

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With space heating, there are a few nuances. Looking at infrared heaters, it’s important to point out that IR heating in the study refers to quartz heating (tungsten filament encased in a gas tube) which is not the same product as IR panel heating. 

IR panel heating warms up the body, walls and floors rather than heating the air. Some users find it too direct and vaguely uncomfortable. It can be a good choice for a chill bathroom or small office where you can keep the panel close to you, on the floor, mounted on the wall or even set on the ceiling. Prices come in around €200 for a 400w-420w IR panel unit.

Halogen

Halogen heating uses halogen bulbs, and it’s having a moment. This type of heating runs hotter than IR quartz, features thermostatic control, is quick to heat a space, directional, portable, and economical. Halogen prices, like IR quartz, start from around €30. Keep in mind that traditional panels and radiators will tug a warm air current via natural convection.

This will heat a room more evenly than a directional source like halogen, bottled gas, or a fan heater. Any open electric element, or ignited source like bottled cabinet gas heaters (not included here), must be monitored for safety and placed very carefully.

Electricity and pumps

In terms of whole-house heating, 80% of homes built since 2020 are now heated by electricity and with the onward march of heat pumps and available SEAI grants for retrofits, this trend is set to continue.

There are homeowners with heat pumps railing at the running costs and wood-burning folk who heat their homes for next to nothing gathering and growing their own supply.

Stuck with kerosene, like 60% of rural dwellers, I wouldn’t use anything like €13 for a day’s heating — not on the cruellest day of winter. Pellet and biomass boilers, and wood and fossil fuel stoves/ranges with and without back-boilers are not included in the findings.

Where electric heating goes, and where possible, I would advocate twinning any electric central heating to PV solar panels to take the edge off the volatility of the kW price in the long term. This slices a trace off the daytime running cost in winter. Sending surplus back to the grid through the Micro-generation Support Scheme, in summer PV-solar will further offset winter bills. 

Always keep in mind that vulnerable home users may have their heating poked up beyond 19C-21C and must be accommodated for these temperatures to stay snug and healthy over the winter months.

Eoin Clarke, Switcher.

Eoin Clarke, energy expert at Switcher, advises: “Many householders won’t have the cash upfront to upgrade their whole heating system; however, if you work from home or only use one or two rooms, investing in an energy-efficient space heater could be less costly than nudging up the boiler. Before you buy, consider the size of your room, compare wattage, and cost per hour and choose one with a thermostat so it only stays on to maintain the temperature you need. Lastly, simple fixes can keep costs down: insulate against drafts and layer up to keep your body warm.”

If you’re using electricity, Switcher concludes that the only way to effectively monitor your usage for space heating is to use a smart meter, and you can carry out a better investigation based on your system and hybrid use of heat sources.

• See Switcher.ie