YOUR electric heater could be adding £284 to your yearly bills if you keep it in the wrong place, an expert has warned.
Energy bills are still sky-high and even though spring is underway, many of us are still feeling cold snaps from time to time.
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But having the heating is expensive for households and so many of us are trying to think of alternative ways to keep warm.
Electric heaters could be a cheaper option if you’re finding yourself getting chilly.
While they are usually the cheaper option (compared to putting the hearing on), where you place your heater could have a detrimental impact on your bills.
Nicholas Auckland, from Trade Radiators, said the place we put our electric heater could be costing us a lot more money than we think.
He told The Sun: “Although many people state that electric heaters should be placed underneath windows, this actually isn’t beneficial in terms of saving energy.
“It may be beneficial in terms of heating up the cold air coming in through any gaps in the window, but it will likely lead you to turn the heating up more, therefore wasting energy and money.”
An electric heater costs around 68p an hour to run, according to Nicholas.
If you run it for four hours a day, that’ll cost you £2.72 a day.
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However, if you end up turning it up to a high heat due to feeling cold, then this could cost you roughly £3.50 a day.
The difference between those two figures is 78p – if you multiply that by 30 days then you’ll be paying £23.40 extra a month.
Annually though that’ll cost you £284 more than it needs to.
Nicholas said: “It’s important to note that there’s more factors than where the heater is placed that determines how much energy is needed to keep your room warm.
“For example, having your interior doors open lets the heating out of the room, meaning that once again you would need to increase the temperature that your heater reaches.
“Electric plug-in heaters are better suited for small rooms, or to help keep one person warm at a time.”
How much does an electric heater cost to run?
A plug-in electric heater uses around three kilowatt hours of energy (kWh) per hour, according to the price comparison site Uswitch.
A “kilowatt hour of energy” is a unit of measurement referring to one kilowatt of power for one hour.
The current energy price cap sets a limit of 34p per kWh, so when working out how much each heater will cost you, multiply 34p by the number of “kW hours” each uses.
This means an average heater would cost you £1.02 to run per hour.
If you leave it on for three hours, it would cost you £3.06. That is £21.42 a week if you use it for the same period of time each day.
This may sound expensive, but portable heaters allow you to heat only the space you need to be warm, instead of the entire home.
This means it can work out cheaper than putting on the central heating, especially if you don’t have individual room control.
Risks to keep in mind
Just because electric heaters might cost you less, there are still risks to consider when using them.
Because the hot bars on electric heaters are exposed, they could easily spark a fire if they come into contact with household items.
Here are some points to consider first if you’ve bought an electrical heater and plan to use it:
- It should be on a level surface – you don’t want it to be knocked over or fall off
- Keep it well away from flammable objects like paper, furniture or curtains
- Never use it to dry your clothes
- Don’t leave it unattended for long periods of time, especially when you’re asleep
- You should never power it from an extension lead – they can overheat and start a fire fast
- Always check your heater for damage and deterioration – do not use it if it’s not in good condition
- Make sure you buy from manufacturers or retailers that you know and trust – second-hand heaters could be faulty
- Double-check that your appliance is registered and hasn’t been recalled
- Have somebody check your smoke alarm or make sure you know it’s working – it’s imperative to detect anything that could go wrong about the house
Other ways to cut your energy bills
There are ways to reduce your energy bill without having to resort to unsafe practices.
This includes a few easy tips to remember, like closing your curtains in the evening.
When temperatures naturally drop, you should draw them to keep the heat in, and then open them in the morning when the sun comes out.
You can also buy draught excluders which can be cheap – we spotted them on Amazon for £7.99 – but you should always shop around for better offers.
And always think about how much money you’re spending on household appliances – the kettle is ranked one of the costliest, after the shower, heating and a fan-assisted oven.
You can read about how much they cost and how to keep prices down in our guide.
Also, Energy Saving Trust estimates that between 9-16% of electricity used in homes is through appliances in standby mode.
On a bill of £500, this could account for as much as £80. We’ve rounded up the worst devices to leave on standby.
And remember installing a smart meter is free and usually provided by your energy supplier.
They keep a real-time record of your energy consumption so you can keep an eye on what you’re using.
There are also a handful of new cost of living payments to help with bills coming – including the Warm Home Discount and £900 one-off payment.
You can read more about those payments in our round-up.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
