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Electric vs gas patio heater

Updated: October 2026

The bottle is in the shed and the outdoor socket is on the house wall. Electric vs gas patio heater is that placement problem first. Electric models in our [electric patio heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/electric-patio-heater) are plug-in radiant heaters, mostly around 2000 W, from about £45 to £190 on amazon.co.uk. Gas heaters are not in that table. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Peter F. used Ofgem arithmetic and named articles on 19 October 2026 and did not meter a cylinder. If you have already chosen electric, the [buying guide](/hub/portable-heaters/electric-patio-heater/sub/electric-patio-heater-buying-guide) is next.

The bottle is in the shed and the outdoor socket is on the house wall. Electric vs gas patio heater is that placement problem first.

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.Where you can put it
  2. 2.What you feel, and what it costs
  3. 3.Fumes, gazebos, and the limit
  4. 4.Which fuel to choose

Where you can put it

An electric patio heater has to live within its own lead of an RCD-protected outdoor socket. Stated leads here are short: 1.8 m on the Harrier, 182 cm on the Pro Breeze. Electrical Safety First’s line is a UK 3-pin plug into a proper socket, at least IP44 outdoors, with no extension lead. A bottled-gas heater goes where the cylinder goes, with the ventilation the maker prints. No outdoor socket, and no plan to fit one, is the reason to stay with gas. A daisy-chained reel from the kitchen is the setup that advice is trying to stop.

What you feel, and what it costs

Warrington’s green guide says electric radiant heat warms what it can see. A 2000 W beam on a covered table is a local patch. A gas mushroom throws a larger plume, and the wind still takes the heat. A gazebo roof helps the electric beam and can be the wrong place for a flame. Ofgem’s average Direct Debit unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 is 26.32 pence per kWh. A 2000 W step is about 53 pence an hour. A 650 W step is about 17 pence. Grand Designs’ gas example is about £3.50 an hour from a 5 kg cylinder they priced at about £35, and they cite a Which? range of about £6–£8 an hour. Their electric example uses 24.50 pence per kWh, so keep it separate from the Ofgem sum. Energy Saving Trust’s July 2026 table is a separate session-cost source.
SOUTHEATIC SOUTHEATIC T10-GR20B

Testsieger

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

Fumes, gazebos, and the limit

Calor’s patio-gas sheet warns about carbon monoxide when combustion is poor. It points regulators towards BS EN 12864 or BS EN 16129, and hose towards BS EN 16436-1. The emergency number on that sheet is 03457 444 999. Do not use a naked flame when you check for leaks. Do not use these heaters in a tent, a marquee, or directly under a parasol. If the ventilation rules cannot be met, the bottle does not go under that roof. An electric heater has no combustion fume, and it is still a hot appliance you do not cover. Outdoor-only plates stay outside.

Which fuel to choose

Choose electric when the seats are near an RCD socket and you want heat without a bottle or combustion fumes. In this set that is usually a 2000 W bar or the Harrier tower, chosen on the best electric patio heater page after the lead is confirmed. Keep gas only when the seating is far from any socket and the space is open enough for the gas manufacturer’s ventilation rules.

Common questions

Which is cheaper to run, electric or gas?
On the Ofgem Direct Debit unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, a 2000 W electric step is about 53 pence an hour. Grand Designs’ gas example is about £3.50 an hour for a small cylinder they priced, or about £6–£8 an hour for larger heaters in the Which? range they cite. Those gas figures are theirs, at their prices. Compare like with like on the same evening, and do not mix their older 24.50 pence electricity rate into the Ofgem sum.
Which heats a larger patio?
Gas is the one people use when the group is large and the bottle can stand in the open, and Ideal Home makes that case. The heat still blows away without shelter. Electric in this set is a beam on the nearest chairs. A larger electric patio means a second heater on its own socket, not a higher title wattage on one 13 A plug.
Can I use a gas patio heater in a gazebo?
Only if the manufacturer’s ventilation rules are met. Carbon monoxide is the failure when combustion is poor in a closed cover. UK hospitality guidance used alongside Calor’s sheet says not to use combustion heaters in a tent, a marquee, or directly under a parasol. A tightly enclosed gazebo is the wrong place to try it.
Do electric patio heaters give off fumes?
They do not burn gas, so they do not produce combustion fumes. They still get hot. Clearances, a guard, and the manual’s indoor or outdoor line remain in force. A sealed gazebo is not automatically fine because there is no flame.
What if I have no outdoor socket?
Gas remains the practical heater if the seats have no supply and you will follow the cylinder rules in open air. Fitting an RCD-protected outdoor socket is the electric route, and it is an electrician’s job. An extension lead from the kitchen is the option Electrical Safety First advises against.
Is electric greener in a way I can quote?
You can quote the Energy Saving Trust’s July 2026 finding that, in their outdoor table, an electric session cost less than gas or a fire pit for the area and duration they set. You cannot quote a single carbon percentage from this page. We are not repeating older marketing figures as if they were a current official factor.
Do I still need clearance with electric?
Yes. No flame does not remove the guard, the gap to fabric, or the instruction not to cover the heater. Electrical Safety First’s patio-heater page is the domestic set of those rules. Mounting height comes from your manual, not from a single number on the internet.

Related pages

How to use an electric patio heater

Electric patio heater

The best electric patio heater for a covered UK patio

Electric patio heater buying guide: seats, IP, lead

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)