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Gas vs electric greenhouse heater

Updated: 22 October 2026

Winter is coming, the greenhouse sits at the bottom of the garden, and you are weighing bottled propane against a cable from the house. The wrong decision is buying a mains-powered gas blower for an allotment with no socket, or sealing a glasshouse around a flame because propane felt cheaper. This page compares fuels for UK hobby growing and ties back to the three listings in the [gas greenhouse heater comparison](/hub/heating/gas-greenhouse-heater). Peter F. cites the Royal Horticultural Society and retailer illustrations. This page does not quote your electricity bill. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Winter is coming, the greenhouse sits at the bottom of the garden, and you are weighing bottled propane against a cable from the house.

Our top picks

Bimson Power Bimson Power 15 kW

Best overall

Bimson Power Bimson Power 15 kW
9.4/10about £119.99
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DAHTEC DAHTEC 10 kW

Rank 2

DAHTEC DAHTEC 10 kW
9.4/10about £219.00
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Bimson Power Bimson Power 30 kW

Rank 3

Bimson Power Bimson Power 30 kW
0.0/10about £169.99
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On this page
  1. 1.What changes if the heat is a flame
  2. 2.The socket test
  3. 3.Money, without a fake tariff
  4. 4.Which to choose

What changes if the heat is a flame

Electric fan or tube heaters add warmth without combustion products at the heater. Gas and paraffin burn in the air inside the structure. The Royal Horticultural Society prefers electric where a professional can install a supply, fan heat for circulation, tube heat for background frost, and gas or paraffin only where no supply exists. Combustion produces water, ethylene and carbon monoxide, so you ventilate and you match hardier crops, not tender seedlings in a shut house. Hotbox makes the same split: bottled gas means cylinder swaps and no piped fuel; electric avoids on-site combustion and, in their framing, costs more per unit of energy. Their anecdotes stay theirs. A vent is not optional on gas, and condensation on the panes is expected. For steady frost protection, electricity is often the simpler control. Paraffin shares the combustion limits. It is not a third path through this blower set.

The socket test

Before pence, ask whether a proper supply can exist. RHS garden-electrics guidance wants RCD protection, a qualified installation for a new outdoor socket, and heaters kept dry. A lead through wet grass is not a permanent plan. An extension from the house is a stopgap. Both Bimson blowers claim a pre-fitted 13 A plug for the fan. With no mains, they fail the reason many people give for choosing gas. The DAHTEC 10 kW fan runs from an included 18 V battery, so heat still needs propane and the listing still limits you to outdoors or a well-ventilated non-domestic space. No electricity does not mean any gas heater on amazon.co.uk. It may mean a low-output greenhouse propane heater, the class in the propane greenhouse heater buying guide, or the DAHTEC for a barn-like job, not a sealed 6×8 ft house. A proper socket makes electric the RHS-first answer.
Bimson Power Bimson Power 15 kW

Testsieger

Bimson Power Bimson Power 15 kW
9.4/10about £119.99
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Money, without a fake tariff

Greenhouse Stores’ 2026 running-cost article uses 25p per kWh for electric and 19p per kWh for propane, then still argues that electric suits most hobby houses because of moisture and control. Those pence are that retailer’s illustration, not your Ofgem cap or smart-meter tariff. Allotment guides that call the saving marginal are pointing at thermostat cycling, insulation, and how often you open vents. Cylinder rental, haulage, and a part-used bottle in spring sit on the gas side. Standing charge and peak hours sit on the electric side. A 15 kW blower for an hour is not a 2 kW frost heater on a thermostat. Use the shop table as a sketch of why connected gardens are nudged toward electric. Alarms and openings are on carbon monoxide greenhouse heater ventilation.

Which to choose

If a qualified electrician can fit a safe, RCD-protected supply, choose an electric fan or tube heater for frost duty. The unit cost of electricity is the price of clean air and simpler overnight control. That is the conditional recommendation for most connected UK hobby houses. Choose bottled propane in the 2–4 kW greenhouse-heater class when no supply is possible and you accept ventilation, crop limits, cylinder handling and a BS EN 50291 alarm. Lighting steps are on how to use a gas greenhouse heater. Do not buy the Bimson 15 kW or 30 kW as a no-mains solution. Do not seal the house around any unflued blower. The DAHTEC is the only battery fan here, and it is still a high-output burner with four ratings. If the house is small, skip the blower rows.

Common questions

If I can install a socket, should I still buy gas?
Usually no for a hobby glasshouse. Fit electric heat properly and ventilate for humidity without combustion products. The Royal Horticultural Society prefers electric where a professional can install a supply. Gas remains where no supply is possible, or as a backup you have already accepted the ventilation limits for.
What if the greenhouse is on an allotment?
Many allotments have no mains, which rules out both Bimson blowers unless you bring power you trust for a 13 A load. A greenhouse-rated propane frost heater is the usual gas answer. The DAHTEC stays an open, non-domestic blower. A sealed polytunnel is not that space.
Is propane cheaper per hour?
Sometimes on a retailer table, and often marginal once cylinders, transport and part-used bottles are counted. Duty cycle matters more than the slogan. Greenhouse Stores’ 19p and 25p figures are that shop’s illustration, not your tariff. A hard-running 15 kW blower is not one hour of a 2 kW frost heater.
Can I trail an extension lead from the house?
As an occasional test, maybe. As the permanent greenhouse supply, no. Garden electrics guidance wants RCD protection and a qualified installation for a new outdoor socket, and a lead through wet grass is the risk that guidance is written against.
Do the blowers in this comparison work with no mains?
Only the DAHTEC fan runs from an included 18 V battery. Both Bimson units are described with a 13 A plug for airflow, though the 30 kW power-source field says propane and does not mention the plug. All three still need propane and an open space. A battery fan does not remove combustion products.

Related pages

Best gas greenhouse heater UK

Gas greenhouse heater

Propane greenhouse heater size for a UK glasshouse

How to use a gas greenhouse heater safely in the UK

Carbon monoxide greenhouse heater: vents and alarms

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these three listings were taken from the listing files read on 20 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. RHS, heating greenhouses efficiently (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE domestic gas FAQ (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE gas safety for employers (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK carbon monoxide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. NHS carbon monoxide poisoning (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. London Fire Brigade carbon monoxide safety (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Liquid Gas UK Consumer Guidance Sheet 39 (retrieved 20 October 2026)