How much does an electric heater cost to run?
A fan or ceramic heater typically costs about 39p to 53p an hour to run, or 79p to £1.05 for a 2-hour evening, on the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, at full power.
Typical running costs
Typical power from real UK listings, costed at 26.32p per kWh.
| Type | Typical power | Per hour | For a 2-hour evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fan or ceramic heater | 1500 to 2000W | 39p to 53p | 79p to £1.05 |
Heaters use full power only while warming up. Once the room reaches the thermostat setting they cycle on and off, so real costs are usually lower than these full-power figures.
Covers fan and ceramic heaters. Oil-filled radiators have their own page.
Work out your own
- Per day
- £1.05
- Per week
- £7.37
- Per year
- £383.22
Watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × pence per kWh.
How these figures are worked out
Cost per hour is the power in watts, divided by 1,000, times the unit rate. The rate is the Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (direct debit, average, VAT removed). Your own tariff may differ, so check the unit rate on your bill.
Typical power comes from these UK listings: