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Halogen heater running cost

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have heard that a halogen heater is cheap to run, and you want the figure before you leave the gas central heating off. A halogen heater running cost is the wattage times your unit rate. At Ofgem’s Direct Debit average for 1 October to 31 December 2026, that is about 10.5p an hour at 400 W, 21.1p at 800 W and 31.6p at 1,200 W. A halogen watt is not a special watt. The heaters in our [halogen radiant heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/halogen-radiant-heater) simply offer those steps. Peter F. used the Ofgem cap and the listings on 19 October 2026. There was no meter reading. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have heard that a halogen heater is cheap to run, and you want the figure before you leave the gas central heating off. A halogen heater running cost is the wattage times your unit rate.

Our top picks

SONBION SONBION LSG13 quartz radiant heater

Best overall

SONBION SONBION LSG13 quartz radiant heater
8.4/10about £39.95
View offer
GEEPAS Geepas GQH9106 quartz halogen heater

Alternative

GEEPAS Geepas GQH9106 quartz halogen heater
8.4/10about £14.99
View offer
Warmlite Warmlite WL42005 3-bar halogen heater

Alternative

Warmlite Warmlite WL42005 3-bar halogen heater
8.2/10about £21.45
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The sum at 26.32 pence per kWh
  2. 2.Why a cheap hour can still be a dear month
  3. 3.Same watts, other heaters
  4. 4.What not to copy from older articles
  5. 5.What to do with the figure

The sum at 26.32 pence per kWh

Ofgem’s Direct Debit average for 1 October to 31 December 2026 is 26.32 pence per kWh. The standing charge is 54.83 pence a day and does not belong in the hourly figure. Ofgem’s note for this window says electricity is not charged VAT. Multiply the kilowatts by 26.32. A 400 W bar is 0.4 kW, so 0.4 times 26.32 is 10.528p, about 10.5p an hour. At 800 W that is 21.056p, about 21.1p. At 1,200 W it is 31.584p, about 31.6p. Northern Ireland and fixed deals sit outside this cap. Do not price the Status as 3,000 W. Its title is 800 W, about 21.1p an hour, not about 79p.

Why a cheap hour can still be a dear month

None of these listings states a thermostat, so the heater does not cycle off. Three hours at 1,200 W is about 94.8p. Thirty such nights are about £28, more than the Trendi at about £19.95 and close to the Warmlite at about £21.45. Two hours at 400 W is about 21p a day, which is the pattern reviewers describe: one bar, then off. Oscillation does not add watts. The Warmlite’s 120° sweep only moves the same beam. Switch it off when you leave the chair. Overnight running is a fire-safety stop on the how to use a halogen heater page, not a way to spread the pence. A seller line about 95 per cent conversion is not a cited efficiency. The Centre for Sustainable Energy’s point is that electric heat is fully converted at the point of use, so a lower wattage costs less per hour because it draws less.
SONBION SONBION LSG13 quartz radiant heater

Testsieger

SONBION SONBION LSG13 quartz radiant heater
8.4/10about £39.95
View offer

Same watts, other heaters

A typical fan heater is often rated at 2,000 W. At 26.32 p/kWh that hour is about 52.6p. A 1,200 W halogen hour at 31.6p is cheaper because the rating is lower, not because a halogen watt is special. Some fan heaters are 1,000 W, and some cycle on a thermostat, so the nameplate hour is not always the metered hour. If you sit in one chair, 400 W or 800 W is the lower hourly figure. If you need the air moved, you accept the higher typical draw. Noise and glare are on the halogen heater vs fan heater page. Two bars or three are on the halogen heater buying guide. Two Geepas heaters at 800 W, both lit, are two lots of 21.1p.

What not to copy from older articles

Older pages still say about 36p an hour for 1,200 W. That belongs to a higher unit rate than 26.32p. Sust-it rounds to about 32p at 26 p/kWh and describes the rate as including VAT, which does not match Ofgem’s note for this quarter. Check the date of any article still on a spring or summer cap. Do not copy the Status 3,000 W cell into a cost table, and do not copy a coverage claim in square feet. Replace 26.32 with your own pence per kWh and keep 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2.

What to do with the figure

Use 10.5p, 21.1p or 31.6p only as the Direct Debit average for this quarter, then swap in the unit rate on your bill. Light one bar if you are the only person in the chair. Treat three hours on 1,200 W as about 94.8p a night, not as a free top-up. If the listing does not state a thermostat, the meter will not shorten the hour for you.

Common questions

How much does a 1,200 W halogen heater cost per hour?
About 31.6p at Ofgem’s Direct Debit average of 26.32 p/kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. The sum is 1.2 times 26.32. It is an average, not your tariff. Prepayment is listed by Which? at 25.52 p/kWh for the same quarter, and standard credit at 27.8 p/kWh. Northern Ireland and fixed deals are outside this cap.
What about 400 W and 800 W?
About 10.5p and 21.1p an hour on the same 26.32 p/kWh rate. Those are 0.4 and 0.8 times the unit rate, rounded. The Geepas, SONBION and Status titles stop at 800 W. The three-bar heaters can sit on 400 W if you light one bar. One Trendi reviewer’s 14p reading is that household, not this average.
Are halogen heaters more efficient than fan heaters?
At the point of use, electric heaters turn the electricity they draw into heat. A 1,200 W halogen hour costs less than a 2,000 W fan hour, about 31.6p against about 52.6p, because the rating is lower. A SONBION line about 95 per cent conversion is not a cited test, so it is not an efficiency claim for this set.
What if I pay by prepayment or on receipt of the bill?
Use the matching unit rate. Which? lists 25.52 p/kWh for prepayment electricity and 27.8 p/kWh for standard credit in this quarter, around the 26.32p Direct Debit average. A 1,200 W hour moves by a penny or two. Your own bill beats all three averages if the tariff is printed on it.
Is three hours a night still cheap?
Three hours at 1,200 W is about 94.8p, and thirty nights are about £28, near the Warmlite’s £21.45 shelf price. Two hours at 400 W is about 21p a day. Cheap depends on the bar and the clock. These heaters do not state a thermostat, so they do not shorten the hour for you.
Why do some websites say 36p?
They are using an older, higher unit rate. At 26.32 p/kWh the 1,200 W hour is about 31.6p. A page that still says 36p has not moved to this quarter’s cap. Check the date, then multiply your own unit rate by 1.2 if you want the figure for your tariff.

Related pages

Best halogen radiant heater

Halogen radiant heater

Halogen heater buying guide: what the listing must show

How to use a halogen heater: floor, clearance, plug

Halogen heater vs fan heater: silence or blown air

Sources

Public UK sources for the unit rate, plug rules, placement and the 30-day right to reject. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines stored for this comparison.

  1. Ofgem — Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved October 2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First — Portable heaters (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2015/1188 (retrieved October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK — Placing energy-related products on the UK market (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service — Heater safety (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Centre for Sustainable Energy — Room heaters (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved October 2026)