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How to use an electric heater efficiently

Updated: 21 October 2026

The heater is already in the room, the title said energy saving, and the bill will still follow how long the element stays on. Using an electric heater efficiently, in a UK house, means you shut the room, use a wall socket, set a temperature you can name, learn what the timer does, and unplug when you leave or when the plug smells. The [energy saving electric heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/energy-saving-electric-heater) is the twelve listings, if you are still choosing. This page assumes you own one. Products Compared did not run a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The heater is already in the room, the title said energy saving, and the bill will still follow how long the element stays on.

Our top picks

Dreo Dreo Atom 316 white

Best overall

Dreo Dreo Atom 316 white
8.6/10about £42.49
View offer
Devola Devola DVCH2WH

Alternative

Devola Devola DVCH2WH
6.6/10about £59.99
View offer
FLANUR FLANUR AT-SH26

Best value

FLANUR FLANUR AT-SH26
8.0/10about £39.98
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Put it in the room you are in
  2. 2.Set a temperature, not maximum
  3. 3.Learn which timer you actually have
  4. 4.When to switch off and unplug

Put it in the room you are in

Stand the heater on a level floor in the room you are using, with the door shut. A hallway heater, with doors open, heats the staircase as well. The Centre for Sustainable Energy’s caution is that hours of plug-in heat can cost more than a low setting on gas central heating, while one occupied room can go the other way. Keep about a metre from curtains, furniture and bedding, and do not dry clothes on the case. Use a wall socket, not an extension lead. No IP rating is stated on any heater in this set, so this is not a bathroom routine.

Set a temperature, not maximum

Set a temperature you can name, not the highest mark. The Atom 316, the FLANUR and several Dreo towers list about 5–35 °C. The Ballu lists 5–30 °C. High teens to low twenties is a comfort band, not a measured optimum, and this page is not prescribing 21 °C. A sensor next to the element can overshoot. ECO chooses a lower step as the room nears the set point. On the DR-HSH003 the bullets say 900 W, 1,100 W and 2,000 W. ECO is not a discount on the unit rate. The pence are on the electric heater running cost page.
Dreo Dreo Atom 316 white

Testsieger

Dreo Dreo Atom 316 white
8.6/10about £42.49
View offer

Learn which timer you actually have

A countdown switches the heater off. It does not switch the heat on at 6.30am. UK reviews of the Devola DVCH2WH say its 24-hour timer only counts down to off. That distinction sits on the buying guide. The Ballu listing claims app schedules. Test one while you are in the room. A UK review of the Dreo DR-HSH003 says the idle shut-off returns to about 12 hours after you switch off at the wall. The FLANUR mixes a 12-hour timer with a 24-hour auto-shutoff sentence. Read the manual before you add a plug-in timer: on one Dimplex, a self-resetting cut-out can come back on when power returns.

When to switch off and unplug

Switch the heater off when you leave the room and when you go to bed. Electrical Safety First and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue both say not to leave a portable heater on overnight. A tip-over cut-out is a last resort if the heater falls. It is not stated on the Ballu or the WGOE. Unplug if you are leaving the house. A hot plug or a fishy smell means stop. One Devola review describes both. The WGOE listing uses model ML-9001. A government report of that model describes a plug that failed BS 1363, with a short earth pin. The report’s Amazon identifiers are not the ASIN in this set.

Common questions

Where should I put it in the room?
On a level floor in the room you are using, about a metre from curtains and furniture, with the door shut. Plug it into a wall socket. Do not put it in a hallway to heat several rooms, and do not use it in a bathroom. No IP rating is stated on these listings. A wall-mounted Ballu still needs clear space in front of the panel.
What temperature should I set?
Set a temperature you can name, not the highest mark. Listings here commonly offer about 5–35 °C, or 5–30 °C on the Ballu. High teens to low twenties is a comfort band other UK guides use. It is not a measured optimum, and this page is not prescribing 21 °C. If the room is already warm, lower the set point so the element can rest.
Will the timer turn it on before I get home?
A countdown timer will not. It switches the heater off after the hours you set. UK reviews say that is what the Devola’s 24-hour timer does. The Ballu listing claims app schedules, which you should test while you are there. On the Dreo DR-HSH003, a review says the idle timer resets after you switch off at the wall.
Can I use an extension lead?
No. Electrical Safety First says a portable heater goes in a wall socket, not on an extension lead. If the lead is too short, move the heater. Read the manual before you add a plug-in timer, because a cut-out on some models can reset when power returns.
Can I leave it on overnight?
No. Electrical Safety First and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue both say not to leave a portable heater on overnight. Use a timer that switches it off, and unplug it when you leave the house. A tip-over switch, where one is claimed, does not replace that.
What do I do if the plug smells?
Switch it off, unplug it, and do not turn it back on to see if the smell goes. A Devola reviewer reported a hot plug and a fishy smell. If the socket is scorched or the breaker trips, call an electrician. Do not keep using a plug whose earth pin looks short.
Should I close the door?
Yes, if the heater is meant to warm the room you are in. An open door means the thermostat may never reach the set point, so the element stays on. Reviewers already describe that, and it removes the only saving a thermostat can make.

Related pages

Panel heater vs fan heater

Energy-saving electric heater

The best energy saving electric heater for one room

Energy saving electric heater: what to check first

Electric heater running cost in pence per full hour

Sources

Public UK sources for the unit rate, room-heater cost, the plug and clearance, and the ML-9001 safety report. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set. Retrieved 21 October 2026.

  1. Ofgem — Changes to the energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Centre for Sustainable Energy — Room heaters (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. Energy Saving Trust — Electric heating (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Which? — Are electric heaters eco friendly? (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Electrical Safety First — Portable heaters (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. BS EN 60335-2-30:2009+A13:2022 — room heaters (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. OPSS — Product safety report: fan heater ML-9001 (2511-0255) (retrieved 21 October 2026)