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

Oil filled radiator buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You have a cold spare room, a 13 A socket, and a row of oil-filled radiators on amazon.co.uk that lead with fin counts. An oil filled radiator buying guide should settle the watts first, then the controls that cut the hours, then the lines you can set aside. The [oil-filled radiator comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/oil-heater-fan) is the nine-row table. Shelf prices run from the Status at £34.99 to the De'Longhi Dragon 4 at £171, and they are not a live check on 16 October 2026. The Products Compared editorial team used those amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a cold spare room, a 13 A socket, and a row of oil-filled radiators on amazon.co.uk that lead with fin counts.

Our top picks

NETTA NETTA 11-fin 2500 W

Best overall

NETTA NETTA 11-fin 2500 W
7.7/10about £69.99
View offer
Dreo Dreo 9-fin smart 2000 W

Rank 2

Dreo Dreo 9-fin smart 2000 W
7.8/10about £118.99
View offer
Russell Hobbs Russell Hobbs 13-fin 2500 W with fan

Alternative

Russell Hobbs Russell Hobbs 13-fin 2500 W with fan
6.4/10about £82.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What an oil-filled radiator is doing
  2. 2.How many watts for your room
  3. 3.Controls that change the hours
  4. 4.What to ignore on the listing

What an oil-filled radiator is doing

An oil-filled radiator is a plug-in heater. The element warms a sealed oil charge inside metal fins, and the fins warm the room you sit in. Warm-up is slow beside a fan heater. Published descriptions put heat moving through the oil after about 10 to 15 minutes. Energy Saving Trust states that a 2 kW heater at full power uses 2 kWh in an hour, whichever type you bought. Oil that stays warm after switch-off can mean fewer of those hours. The oil-filled radiator versus fan heater page splits the two jobs.

How many watts for your room

Homebuilding publishes a retailer rule of thumb of about 100 W per square metre for an average ceiling and average insulation, plus roughly 10 to 20 percent if the room is draughty or tall. A 12 m² bedroom sits near 1,200 W. A 20 m² living room sits near 2,000 W. The sum assumes one room. Coverage lines mix units. The Dragon 4 field says 60 m³. The Dreo lists 10–20 m² at 2,000 W, the NETTA 28 m² at 2,500 W, and the Status up to 20 m² at 2,000 W. Read each as the seller's claim. A 2,500 W element at 230 V draws about 10.9 A. The running cost page stays with the kWh.
NETTA NETTA 11-fin 2500 W

Testsieger

NETTA NETTA 11-fin 2500 W
7.7/10about £69.99
View offer

Controls that change the hours

The money you save is time with the element off. A thermostat, a timer you will set, and a tip-over switch change a winter of evenings. On the Dreo DR-HSH010S, several of the first 50 UK reviews say the eco temperature reads high or low, or cuts out early. Check the panel against a room thermometer on the first night. The NETTA, the white Pro Breeze and the Dreo state a 24-hour timer. The Status bullets do not, Russell Hobbs reviews say there is none, and the Dragon 4 timer draws complaints that it is fiddly. Tip-over protection is stated on the Status, NETTA, Pro Breeze models, Dreo, Devola and Russell Hobbs, and left unstated on the Dragon 4. If you can reach the dial, the best oil-filled radiator page explains why the price then matters more than an app.

What to ignore on the listing

Shops sort these heaters by fins. A 9-fin Dreo is stated at 2,000 W and an 11-fin NETTA at 2,500 W. Extra fins spread a given output over more metal. The Dragon 4 title says 3 fan settings, and the bullets describe power steps plus a chimney, with no blower wattage. The only stated turbo fan here is the Russell Hobbs at 400 W, on 13 fins. The Status dimension field says 15 x 18 x 30 cm and 7.1 kg, while the bullets say an 8 kg body about 160 mm wide. The NETTA weight field says 10.6 kg and the bullets say 9.85 kg. None of the nine listings states an IP rating. A bathroom sentence is not a zone rating.

Common questions

How many watts do I need for a bedroom?
Use about 100 W per square metre as a retailer rule of thumb, the figure Homebuilding quotes for an average room, and add roughly 10 to 20 percent if the room is draughty or tall. A 10 m² bedroom lands near 1,000 to 1,200 W on that sum. A 2,000 W radiator can still suit it when the thermostat cycles, because the higher number is the peak draw.
Do I need a timer?
A timer helps when the heater should start before you are in the room, for example a home office that should be warm at 8am. A dial is enough if you switch on as you sit down and unplug when you leave. The Status bullets and the Russell Hobbs reviews in this set do not show a timer.
Is a turbo fan worth it?
Only the Russell Hobbs RHOFR2403B states a 400 W turbo fan, at a shelf price of £82.99, with 4.3 from 48 reviews. The fan can move air while the oil is still warming, and reviews describe it as a separate switch. The stated 10.87 A matches the 2,500 W element on its own. If the room needs quiet and a schedule, choose a timer model.
Can I use it in the bathroom?
None of these nine listings states an IP rating. A bathroom sentence on a Pro Breeze or Status listing is marketing copy. Electrical Safety First treats a portable heater as a plug-in risk around water and fabric. If you need heat inside a bathroom zone, ask an electrician for a product rated for that zone.
What does the well-insulated-spaces sentence mean?
On the Great Britain market, portable electric local space heaters follow assimilated Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1188. They must reach at least 36 percent seasonal space heating energy efficiency, and the packaging must say the product is only suitable for well insulated spaces or occasional use. That 36 percent is a seasonal control score for top-up heat in one room.
Is 2,500 W too much for a 13 A plug?
About 10.9 A at 230 V sits under a 13 A BS 1363 fuse, so one 2,500 W radiator on its own plug is inside that fuse. Use a wall socket, not a coiled extension reel. Several 2.5 kW units on one circuit are a job for an electrician.

Related pages

How to use an oil heater fan

Oil heater fan

Best oil filled radiator: Dreo pick or NETTA value

Oil filled radiator running cost: kWh, timer, bill

Oil filled radiator vs fan heater: which one to buy

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines used for this comparison, not a live check on 16 October 2026.

  1. Energy Saving Trust — Electric heaters compared (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. Centre for Sustainable Energy — Room heaters (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. Electrical Safety First — Portable heaters (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK — Fire safety in the winter (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. legislation.gov.uk — Regulation (EU) 2015/1188, Annex II (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK — Placing energy-related products on the UK market (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Homebuilding & Renovating — Oil-filled radiator size (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. De'Longhi — TRD manual (first-use smell and upright use) (retrieved 16 October 2026)