Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Ceramic fan heater running cost

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are about to leave a heater on for the evening and you want the cost in pence, not the word efficient on the box. Ceramic fan heater running cost, for the wattages in this amazon.co.uk set, is the heater’s watts times the unit rate, for as long as the element is actually drawing power. The figures use Ofgem’s price-cap rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 and the wattages on these twelve listings. This is not a forecast of your bill, and it is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Which heater suits the room is on the [ceramic fan heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/ceramic-fan-heater).

You are about to leave a heater on for the evening and you want the cost in pence, not the word efficient on the box.

Our top picks

DREO Dreo Atom 316 1500 W (White)

Best overall

DREO Dreo Atom 316 1500 W (White)
8.6/10about £42.49
View offer
Amazon Basics Amazon Basics DQ075 1800 W heater

Best value

Amazon Basics Amazon Basics DQ075 1800 W heater
8.1/10about £9.90
View offer
DAHTEC DAHTEC 2800 W ceramic fan heater

Alternative

DAHTEC DAHTEC 2800 W ceramic fan heater
3.8/10about £55.25
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The rate and the formula
  2. 2.What the heaters in this set cost at full power
  3. 3.What a thermostat and ECO actually change
  4. 4.One room versus the whole house

The rate and the formula

Ofgem’s GB average unit rate for electricity paid by Direct Debit, from 1 October to 31 December 2026, is 26.32 p per kilowatt-hour. The standing charge is a separate daily amount, left out of the hourly figures. Your own tariff can sit above or below the average. Pence per hour is watts times the unit rate, divided by 1,000. At 26.32 p/kWh, a 1000 W heater at full power is 26.32 p an hour.

What the heaters in this set cost at full power

These are full-power illustrations at 26.32 p/kWh, rounded to the nearest penny. A 1200 W heater is about 32 p an hour. A 1500 W heater, the Dreo Atom, is about 39 p. An 1800 W heater is about 47 p. A 2000 W heater is about 53 p. A 2800 W heater, the larger DAHTEC, is about 74 p. A lower step costs less while it is the step drawing power. The Pro Breeze mini’s 900 W is about 24 p an hour, against about 53 p at 2000 W.
DREO Dreo Atom 316 1500 W (White)

Testsieger

DREO Dreo Atom 316 1500 W (White)
8.6/10about £42.49
View offer

What a thermostat and ECO actually change

A thermostat saves money only while the element is off. If the heater rests for half of each hour, a 2000 W model behaves more like 1000 W on average, about 26 p rather than 53 p. If the door is open, or you set the dial to the top, the element may never rest. ECO is a control mode, not a trickle and not a discount. The label does not change 26.32 p/kWh. The Centre for Sustainable Energy’s advice is that ceramic heat is not a cheaper form of electricity than any other electric heater of the same watts. An oil-filled radiator at 2000 W costs the same while its element is on. The difference in feel is the ceramic heater vs oil filled radiator page.

One room versus the whole house

Energy UK puts a unit of electric heat at about 26.3 p and gas-boiler heat at about 9.4 p in this window. Heating one room can still cost less than heating the whole house, and only if the rest of the system is turned down. The bill can come in higher if the element ran longer than you remember. If 2000 W is more than you want to pay, drop a step or choose a 1500 W listing. The plug and the cut-outs are on the ceramic fan heater buying guide. Setting a timer so the heater stops is on the how to use a ceramic fan heater page.

Common questions

How much does a ceramic fan heater cost per hour?
At Ofgem’s 26.32 p/kWh Direct Debit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, full power is about 32 p an hour at 1200 W, 39 p at 1500 W, 47 p at 1800 W, 53 p at 2000 W and 74 p at 2800 W. That uses watts times 26.32, divided by 1,000, rounded to the nearest penny. You pay less in any hour the element is cycled off. Your tariff may not match the GB average, and the standing charge is extra.
Is 2000 W about 53 p?
Yes, as a full-power illustration at 26.32 p/kWh: 2000 × 26.32 / 1000 = 52.64 p, which rounds to about 53 p an hour. Utility Prices publishes the same sort of figure for a 2000 W fan heater. It assumes the element stays on. A thermostat that rests for part of the hour brings the average down. It does not change the rate you pay for each unit that is used.
Does ECO mode mean it uses a trickle?
No. ECO on the Dreo and Amazon Basics listings in this set is a heat mode. It can step the output down, as in the 900 W and 1100 W claims on the Dreo 16 inch, and it can let a thermostat cycle. It is not a few watts of background heat, and it is not a cheaper unit price. Fan-only on the DAHTEC dials is the setting listed around 25 W, and that is airflow, not room heat.
Will heating one room save money?
It can, and only with that condition. If the rest of the heating is off, an hour at 1500 W is about 39 p at the cap rate, which may be less than warming every room. If the boiler stays on, the fan heater is an extra cost. Reviews that mention a smart meter are one household’s comparison, not a saving we can attach to your floor area. Draughts and an open door keep the element on and remove the saving a thermostat might have made.
Why is my bill higher than the hour rate?
The hour rate is full power for one hour of element time, without the standing charge and without a second appliance. The heater may have stayed on high because the room never reached the set temperature. A timer may have been longer than you thought, or, on one Dreo, may have reverted toward a long default when power was cut at the wall. Check the step you selected, the hours, and whether another heater was plugged in, before you treat 53 p as a cap on the evening.

Related pages

Best ceramic fan heater

Ceramic fan heater

Ceramic fan heater buying guide: plug, watts, timer

How to use a ceramic fan heater: stand and switch off

Ceramic heater vs oil filled radiator for one room

Sources

Public UK sources for the plug, clearance, the unit rate and the cost of electric heat. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set. Shelf date 19 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Safety First — Portable heaters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First — Bathroom (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Ofgem — Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK — Placing energy-related products on the UK market (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK — Updating standards for local space heating products (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Centre for Sustainable Energy — Room heaters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Energy UK — Room heating calculator (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue — Heating your home (retrieved 19 October 2026)