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Convector heater running cost

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are about to leave a 2 kW convector on while you work from home and want a pence figure before the smart meter moves. Convector heater running cost at full power is straight multiplication: kilowatts times your unit rate. A thermostat, a lower heat step or a timer changes how many minutes the element draws full power. None of them changes the rate on your bill. The [convector comparison](/hub/heating/convector) lists wattages for nine models. This page owns the arithmetic for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Peter F. used the Ofgem cap and the stored amazon.co.uk listings. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to leave a 2 kW convector on while you work from home and want a pence figure before the smart meter moves.

Our top picks

Ballu Ballu NCA1-4.3EF-20 (2 kW)

Best overall

Ballu Ballu NCA1-4.3EF-20 (2 kW)
9.1/10about £149.99
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BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BXCV41001GB (2.2 kW)

Best value

BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BXCV41001GB (2.2 kW)
8.8/10about £36.89
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Dimplex Dimplex ML3TSTie7 (3 kW)

Rank 3

Dimplex Dimplex ML3TSTie7 (3 kW)
7.7/10about £84.63
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The rate that applies
  2. 2.Pence per hour at full power
  3. 3.Why the real hour is often less
  4. 4.What does not make it cheaper

The rate that applies

Ofgem’s price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 quotes a GB average of 26.32p per kWh on Direct Debit, and a standing charge of 54.83p a day, with no VAT in the stated cap materials. Northern Ireland is outside this cap, so use your supplier’s unit rate there. The GB figure is an average. A fixed tariff or prepayment meter can differ. Heater maths uses the unit rate, not the standing charge. The standing charge is a daily cost however long the convector runs. Centre for Sustainable Energy costs a heater as kilowatts times hours times pence per kWh. Using 26.32p matches the cap. Rounding to 26p understates the hour.

Pence per hour at full power

Full power means the element stays on for the whole hour. It is a worst-case line, not a typical evening. At 26.32p per kWh, 2.0 kW is about 53p an hour. BLACK+DECKER’s 2.2 kW title is about 58p. Devola at 2.4 kW is about 63p. The Dimplex ML3 at 3.0 kW is about 79p. Most models are 2 kW: HeatLite, ML2, Daewoo, Status, Russell Hobbs and Ballu. Only the ML3 is 3 kW, so a full hour costs about half as much again. Do not buy 3 kW for a small bedroom if 2 kW already cycles. A lower step costs less only while it is selected. Russell Hobbs at 800 W is about 21p an hour. BLACK+DECKER at 840 W is about 22p. Devola’s half-wattage eco mode is the same idea. Confirm the draw on the panel. Anti-frost still uses energy.
Ballu Ballu NCA1-4.3EF-20 (2 kW)

Testsieger

Ballu Ballu NCA1-4.3EF-20 (2 kW)
9.1/10about £149.99
View offer

Why the real hour is often less

A thermostat switches the element off at the set temperature. The meter may see only twenty or thirty minutes of full draw in that hour, so the cost lands under 53p. Budget the full hour anyway, so the first cold day is not a surprise. A timer cuts hours, not 26.32p per kWh. Dimplex ML’s 7-day timer, Ballu’s app schedule and Russell Hobbs’s 1–24 hour countdown only help if you set them. Draughts change how often the thermostat calls. A convector in a cold conservatory can run near continuously even though the hour is still 53p at 2 kW. Fixing gaps often saves more than swapping one 2 kW brand for another. The controls are on the convector buying guide.

What does not make it cheaper

Purchase price does not change running cost at the same wattage. Ballu at about £149.99 and Daewoo at about £32.99 both draw 2 kW at full output. The expensive panel is not a lower pence-per-hour machine unless it reduces watts or hours through controls you use. Seller claims such as Ballu’s line about up to 37 percent energy saving are marketing, not a guaranteed cut on your meter. Heater type at equal kilowatts does not change the hourly sum either. A 2 kW convector and a 2 kW oil-filled radiator match at full power. Oil-filled can feel cheaper because it cycles differently and often ships at 1.5 kW, which lowers the hourly number and also delivers less heat. That trap is on convector vs oil-filled radiator. A gas central heating comparison depends on boiler efficiency and whether you heat the whole house. A convector heating one room for three hours can beat warming every radiator on a mild day, or lose on a cold day when the gas cost per unit of heat is lower. That is a whole-home calculation, not a convector spec line. This page does not invent a typical UK week. Multiply your own expected full-power minutes. Safe use that avoids hours left on by mistake is on how to use a convector heater.

Common questions

What does a 2 kW convector cost per hour right now?
About 53p at 26.32p per kWh if the element runs continuously for the whole hour. That uses the GB average Direct Debit unit rate on the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your tariff may differ slightly.
What does 3 kW cost per hour?
About 79p at the same 26.32p per kWh and full draw. That is why the Dimplex ML3 needs a room that stays cold on 2 kW, not an impulse buy for a small bedroom. A 3 kW hour is roughly half as much again as a 2 kW hour.
Does a thermostat cut that hourly figure?
It cuts minutes at full draw within the hour. The meter may see only twenty or thirty minutes on, so the cost lands below 53p. Budget with 53p for a 2 kW heater, and expect less if the room cycles off often.
Is a lower heat setting a lower draw?
Yes, when the listing names a step such as 800 W on Russell Hobbs or 840 W on BLACK+DECKER, or eco half-wattage on Devola. The maths scales with the kilowatts selected. 800 W is about 21p an hour at 26.32p per kWh.
Does the standing charge belong in the hourly sum?
No, not for the heater hour itself. The standing charge on the same cap window is 54.83p a day. Add that separately when you look at total electricity cost. It does not change because the convector ran for one hour.
Why is Northern Ireland different?
Northern Ireland is outside the GB cap figures quoted for October to December 2026. Use your local supplier’s unit rate for the same kilowatt multiplication. Do not paste 26.32p per kWh as an NI price.
Is a £150 heater cheaper to run than a £35 heater at the same watts?
No. The same kilowatts mean the same full-power pence per hour. Ballu at about £149.99 and a 2 kW budget convector match at full output. Features save money only if they cut watts or hours you would otherwise use.
How does this compare with gas central heating?
It depends whether you heat one room or the whole system, and on your gas and electricity rates. A convector is for targeted hours. It is not a boiler replacement calculation. On a mild day one room for a few hours can cost less than heating every radiator. On a cold day the comparison can reverse.

Related pages

Best convector heater

Convector

Convector heater buying guide: watts, timer, mount

How to use a convector heater: socket and clearance

Convector heater vs oil filled radiator for a UK room

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these nine listings were taken from the listing files, not a live check on 20 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Centre for Sustainable Energy, room heaters (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Regulation 2015/1188 Annex II (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK ecodesign guidance (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. BEIS off-gas-grid electric heating (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First, portable heaters (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. SELECT, BS 7671 Section 701 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. AMDEA, appliances in bathrooms (retrieved 20 October 2026)