600W infrared panel heater running cost
Updated: 22 October 2026
The 600W infrared panel heater running cost, at full output, is the same for every 600 W panel in our [600W infrared panel heater comparison](/hub/heating/600w-infrared-panel-heater): 0.6 kilowatt-hours an hour. On Ofgem’s Direct Debit average for 1 October to 31 December 2026, electricity in England, Scotland and Wales is 26.32p per kWh, so a full hour is about 16p. A smaller bill comes from fewer hours, or from leaving the rest of the house off. Peter F. used those public rates. No lab test and no measured duty cycle. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The 600W infrared panel heater running cost, at full output, is the same for every 600 W panel in our 600W infrared panel heater comparison: 0.6 kilowatt-hours an hour.
The 600W infrared panel heater running cost, at full output, is the same for every 600 W panel in our 600W infrared panel heater comparison: 0.6 kilowatt-hours an hour. On Ofgem’s Direct Debit average for 1 October to 31 December 2026, electricity in England, Scotland and Wales is 26.32p per kWh, so a full hour is about 16p. A smaller bill comes from fewer hours, or from leaving the rest of the house off. Peter F. used those public rates. No lab test and no measured duty cycle. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Control | Output | What cuts the hours | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Hocosyme Hocosyme thermostat | Remote and timer | 600 W | Timed on and off | 7.8 | about £109.99 | View offer |
 Hocosyme Hocosyme UK-C-600W | Stat recommended only | 600 W | You switch it off | 5.0 | about £89.99 | View offer | |
 Könighaus Könighaus Smart Dual | Wi-Fi and schedule | 600 W | Weekly schedule | 8.2 | about £149.90 | View offer |
On this page
The pence per hour at full output
600 W is 0.6 kW. Times 26.32p that is 15.792p, about 16p for each hour the element is on. Four hours at full output is about 63p. The standing charge is 54.83p a day on the same average. Electricity VAT is off this cap window until 31 March 2027.
The 16p figure applies only at 600 W. A thermostat cuts the share of the hour. No duty cycle was measured here. Northern Ireland is outside this GB cap, so use the unit rate on your bill and keep the 0.6 kWh.
Same watts, different hours, versus a fan heater
A 2 kW fan heater on the same 26.32p rate is about 52.6p an hour at full output, about 3.3 times the 600 W panel, and only if both run flat out for the same hour. Two UK reviewers of the P-600 preferred their cost to old fan heaters. That is their report, not a published 60% saving.
A 98% line, graphene, or an energy-saving bullet does not drop the nameplate below 600 W while the element is on. A timer is in the box on the £109.99 Hocosyme, the KAISER, and the Smart Dual. The P-600 and the £89.99 Hocosyme tell you to add one. Which to open first is on the best 600W infrared panel heater page.
Gas and heat pumps cost less per unit of heat
On the same Ofgem Direct Debit averages, electricity is 26.32p per kWh and gas is 7.97p. Energy Saving Trust says electricity costs about four times as much as gas for the same energy, and advises against replacing gas central heating with infrared across the house. A 600 W panel is about one unit of heat per unit of electricity. A heat pump is the kit that can use less electricity for the same heat.
Energy Systems Catapult, on this October 2026 cap, puts electric heat at about 26.3p per unit against about 9.4p from a gas boiler, after their boiler assumption. The Trust says evidence of an infrared advantage over a standard electric panel is thin.
When one panel can still be the smaller bill
A 600 W panel can cost less when you heat one person for a few hours and turn the rest of the heating down. A UK review of the Smart Dual describes that bedroom pattern. Four hours at full output is still about 63p. A thermostat reduces that only while the element is off.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy says an infrared heater leaves no warmth in the air once it is off, so a cold room can stay damp. If the room is bigger than the smaller square-metre line, the 16p hour is no longer a short top-up. Size is on the buying guide. Aim is on the how to use page.
Common questions
How many pence per hour is 600 W?
About 16p an hour at full output on the GB Direct Debit cap of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. The sum is 0.6 times 26.32p, which is 15.8p, and it applies while the element is on. A thermostat can cut the minutes inside that hour. The standing charge is separate.
Is that the same for every panel in the set?
Yes, while each one is drawing 600 W. The Hocosyme panels, the KAISER, the P-600, and the Smart Dual share the wattage. They do not share a thermostat. The P-600 and the basic Hocosyme tell you to add one, so they sit at full output until you switch them off. The shelf price, from £89.99 to £149.90, does not change the pence per hour.
Why do people say infrared is cheaper than a fan heater?
A 2 kW fan heater is about 53p an hour at full output on the same rate, and some people run the panel for fewer hours. Two UK reviewers of the P-600 said it cost them less than their old fan heaters. That is their experience, not a 60% saving you can print on a bill. If both run flat out for the same time, the 600 W unit simply uses fewer units.
Is it cheaper than gas central heating?
Not as a whole-house swap. Energy Saving Trust says electricity costs about four times as much as gas for the same energy, and advises against replacing gas central heating with infrared. The gas unit rate on this cap is 7.97p per kWh. A single panel for one person can still be a smaller extra than heating every room.
Does a thermostat change the wattage or the hours?
It changes the hours, or the share of each hour, not the 600 W nameplate. While the element is on, the draw is still 600 W and the cost is still about 16p per full hour. The remote Hocosyme, the KAISER, and the Smart Dual print a control in the box. The other two expect you to add one. No duty cycle was measured for this set.
What about Northern Ireland or a fixed tariff?
The 26.32p figure is the GB average cap for England, Scotland and Wales, not a Northern Ireland tariff and not a fixed deal you already signed. Read the unit rate on your bill, multiply by 0.6, and you have your own full-output hour. The standing charge stays on the bill either way. Do not add VAT back onto the GB electricity cap rate for this window.
Will heating one room and turning the boiler down save money?
It can, if you turn the rest of the heating down and you only need warmth on one person for a few hours. It will not, if the panel runs all evening at 600 W and the boiler still heats the house, or if the room is so large that you leave 600 W on because it never feels like enough. DESNZ says the saving story depends on a lower air temperature, and the evidence is thin.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these five listings were taken from the listing files read on 19 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.
- Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Energy Saving Trust, Infrared heating explained (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- DESNZ infrared heating report (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Approved Document P (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- IET Section 701 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- SELECT bathroom pocket guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listing extracts, 19 October 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)