How do I work out what my own electric heater costs?

Multiply its power in kilowatts by the hours you use it and by your unit rate. A 1 kW appliance running for an hour uses 1 kWh, which costs 26p at the Great Britain average. Appliances with a thermostat use less than their rating over an hour.

Does it cost more in some parts of the country?

Slightly. The electricity unit rate under the cap runs from 25.36p a kWh in East Midlands to 27.86p in Merseyside and North Wales, so the same use costs about 10% more in the dearest region. Pick yours in the calculator.

Running costs

How much does it cost to run an electric heater?

About 53p an hour, at the price cap for 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026. Used 3 hours a day, that’s about £576 a year.

A fan or convector heater from 1 kW to 3 kW, running flat out.

Verified: 23 October 2026 from Ofgem price cap rates

Work out yours

Your electricity price

Average power while in use

watts

Hours each time

Times a week

An hour

53p

A week

£11.05

A month

£48.03

A year

£576

2,190 kWh a year. Unit rate only: the standing charge is paid whether or not anything is switched on.

A fan or convector heater turns every kWh of electricity into a kWh of heat, so its cost per hour is simply its rating times your unit rate. Most are 2 kW to 3 kW. Many have a thermostat and switch off once the room is warm, so the real cost per hour falls after the first few minutes.

Electricity costs about three times as much per kWh as gas, so heating a room with an electric heater costs more than the same heat from a gas boiler. It can still be cheaper overall if it means heating one room instead of the whole house.

Ways to spend less

Heat the room you are in and close the door, rather than heating the house.
Use the lower power setting once the room is warm.
A heater with a thermostat or a timer stops it running longer than it needs to.

Compared with

Appliance	Typical cost	A year, used as shown
Electric heater	53p an hour	£576 (3 hours a day)
Oil-filled radiator	53p an hour	£769 (4 hours a day)
Electric blanket	4p an hour	£15 (1 hour a day)

At the Great Britain average electricity rate of 26.32p a kWh.

Common questions

How much does it cost to run an electric heater?: About 53p an hour, at the price cap for 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026. Used 3 hours a day, that’s about £576 a year. A fan or convector heater from 1 kW to 3 kW, running flat out.
How do I work out what my own electric heater costs?: Multiply its power in kilowatts by the hours you use it and by your unit rate. A 1 kW appliance running for an hour uses 1 kWh, which costs 26p at the Great Britain average. Appliances with a thermostat use less than their rating over an hour.
Does it cost more in some parts of the country?: Slightly. The electricity unit rate under the cap runs from 25.36p a kWh in East Midlands to 27.86p in Merseyside and North Wales, so the same use costs about 10% more in the dearest region. Pick yours in the calculator.

Other appliances

Add up several appliances in the electricity cost calculator, or see what your own home uses with the smart meter analyser.