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

How to use an electric patio heater

Updated: October 2026

You want heat on the chairs without a scorched cushion or a tripped breaker. How to use an electric patio heater comes down to three gates: the plate and the instructions agree, the beam and the lead are in the right place, and you let it cool before you move it. Model choices sit on the [electric patio heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/electric-patio-heater). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Peter F. used amazon.co.uk listings and public UK safety advice on 19 October 2026. If you are still choosing a mount, read the [buying guide](/hub/portable-heaters/electric-patio-heater/sub/electric-patio-heater-buying-guide) first.

You want heat on the chairs without a scorched cushion or a tripped breaker.

Our top picks

SOUTHEATIC SOUTHEATIC T10-GR20B

Best overall

SOUTHEATIC SOUTHEATIC T10-GR20B
9.2/10about £99.99
View offer
Harrier Harrier 2000 W tower

Best value

Harrier Harrier 2000 W tower
8.8/10about £48.99
View offer
Pro Breeze Pro Breeze PB-H16-UK

Alternative

Pro Breeze Pro Breeze PB-H16-UK
8.2/10about £79.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Check the plate, the plug, and the instructions
  2. 2.Place it, then aim the beam
  3. 3.Power, timer, and shutdown
  4. 4.Rain, storage, and the electrician

Check the plate, the plug, and the instructions

Read the rating plate and the first page of the manual before you look for a bracket. A UK heater for a domestic socket should show about 230 V and a fused BS 1363 plug. The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 are the plug rules. The DONYER quartz tower’s table says 110 V. If the plate says the same, stop. A travel adaptor is not a repair. One Pro Breeze review says the instructions state indoor use only, while the listing claims IP65. Do not bolt that bar outside and hope the title wins. The same pause applies when Devola’s fields say IP24 and the bullets say IP65. Outdoor-only heaters stay outside, and you do not cover the heater. If the paper check fails, use the return route.

Place it, then aim the beam

A tower goes on a level surface. The Harrier is about 9 kg and 211 cm tall. Secure it against wind and keep the cable tidy. A bar needs a sound fixing. The Pro Breeze box includes fixtures. Plasterboard alone is a poor home for a hot bar, and children still need the guard out of reach. There is no single legal mounting height in the UK. Heat Outdoors quotes about 2.2–2.5 m for most of their heaters. Your manual wins. Aim the tube at the chairs. Harrier states a 1.8 m lead and Pro Breeze 182 cm. The socket should be outdoor, at least IP44, on an RCD. If the plug falls short, stop. The wall or freestanding choice does not lengthen the cable.
SOUTHEATIC SOUTHEATIC T10-GR20B

Testsieger

SOUTHEATIC SOUTHEATIC T10-GR20B
9.2/10about £99.99
View offer

Power, timer, and shutdown

Plug straight into the RCD-protected socket. Do not add a reel or a block adaptor. Harrier reviews say light extensions trip on the top setting. A 2000 W step is about 8.7 A, and two heaters on one 13 A lead are too much. Several remotes, including the SOUTHEATIC T10, omit the battery. The Harrier lists no timer, so you switch it off yourself, let it cool, and only then move it.

Rain, storage, and the electrician

IPX4 and IP24 mean splashes. An IP65 claim is jets only if the sheet agrees, and reviews on the SOUTHEATIC cabinet describe water in the controls after balcony use. Bring a splash-rated tower under a real roof once it is cool. A new outdoor socket, a new circuit, or any hardwiring is an electrician’s job. One Senelux review said hardwiring voided the warranty. That is a review, not a statute. If the supply itself is wrong, another model from the best electric patio heater shortlist will not fix it.

Common questions

Where do I aim an electric patio heater?
Aim the tube at the people and the chairs within a couple of metres, on a level tower or from a bar pointed down towards the seats. The beam does not fill a garden. If a cushion or a hanging fabric can touch the guard, move the furniture before you switch on.
How high should a wall heater be?
Use the height in your manual. Heat Outdoors quotes about 2.2–2.5 m for most of their heaters, and one of their manuals also uses 1.8 m from the floor and 0.5 m from the ceiling. Those numbers are not UK law. A lower figure in your sheet is the one that counts, along with the side clearance it prints.
Can I use an extension lead if the cable is short?
Electrical Safety First advises against an extension lead for a patio heater. Harrier owners report that light extensions trip on the highest setting. A 2000 W load is about 8.7 A, and two heaters on one 13 A lead are already too much. The fix for a short cable is a socket in the right place, fitted by an electrician.
Can I leave it out in the rain?
Only if the manual’s weather line allows that exposure. Splash ratings such as IPX4 are for splashes, often with shelter assumed. An IP65 title is a claim, and on several listings the bullets or a review pull it back. When the sheet says bring it in, wait until the heater is cool, then store it.
Can I use an outdoor heater in a garage or bathroom?
Only when the manual allows that room. Some bullets, including Senelux, mention a garage or workshop as covered use. A bathroom is a different set of electrical rules, and an outdoor-only plate means the heater stays outside. If the instructions are silent, do not invent a room for it.
What do I do before I fit the remote?
Check that the battery is in the box. Several remotes here are sold without one, and a review on the Devola 2000 W bar mentions a CR2032. Fit the cell, confirm the heater switches off from the handset, and keep the plug accessible. If the remote is dead on arrival and the bar has no switch, stop using it and use the seller’s returns route.
When must an electrician take over?
When you need a new outdoor socket or circuit, when the lead cannot reach, or when someone proposes hardwiring. NICEIC’s garden guidance expects an RCD and a weatherproof socket. A pub or any workplace supply is a competent-person job under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Choosing a different heater from the comparison does not remove that visit.

Related pages

Electric patio heater

The best electric patio heater for a covered UK patio

Electric patio heater buying guide: seats, IP, lead

Electric vs gas patio heater when the socket is far

Wall mounted vs freestanding patio heater in the UK

Sources

Public UK sources for the plug, the outdoor socket, the IP numerals and the unit rate. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set. Shelf date 19 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Safety First — Patio heaters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Ofgem — Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. BSI — BS EN 60335-2-30:2009+A13:2022 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. IEC — Ingress protection (IP) ratings guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. NICEIC — Gardens and electrics (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE — Electrically powered equipment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Warrington Borough Council — Green guide to outside heating (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. GOV.UK — Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)