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How to use a patio heater

Updated: 21 October 2026

The pole is longer than the photograph, and the only outdoor socket is on the house wall. How to use a patio heater is whether the lead reaches an RCD-protected socket, whether the head has the clearance in its own manual, and what an hour costs. Model choice stays on the [buying guide](/hub/portable-heaters/patio-heater/sub/patio-heater-buying-guide). The listings are the [patio heater comparison](/hub/portable-heaters/patio-heater). Peter F. used Electrical Safety First, the Ofgem figures for 1 October to 31 December 2026, and the stated lead lengths. This is not a wiring design. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The pole is longer than the photograph, and the only outdoor socket is on the house wall.

Our top picks

Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater

Best overall

Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater
8.2/10about £48.99
View offer
Donyer Power Donyer Power HCH2000DIV

Best value

Donyer Power Donyer Power HCH2000DIV
6.3/10about £33.99
View offer
Knightsbridge Knightsbridge HEOD1309BK

Alternative

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge HEOD1309BK
7.9/10about £40.04
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before you switch it on
  2. 2.Socket, RCD, and the 13 A limit
  3. 3.Where it can stand or hang
  4. 4.What an hour costs

Before you switch it on

Start with the rating plate, not the title. Both Devola pages say 2,000 W or 2,400 W in the title and 1,200 W in the heat-output field. The Donyer HCH2000DIV says 2,000 W in the title and 1,500 W in the field. If the Donyer tower’s plate says 110 V, stop. UK mains are 230 V. A Great Britain domestic appliance should arrive with a BS 1363 plug. The Knightsbridge HEOD1309BK states 3 m of pre-wired cable and a UK plug at 230 V. The SOUTHEATIC TW30R does not state the plug. If the guard is bent, do not switch on. Reviewers often find the Harrier’s 1.8 m lead does not clear the base once the pole is extended to about 211 cm. Measure that lead with the heater standing where it will stand.

Socket, RCD, and the 13 A limit

Plug the heater into an outdoor socket the lead can reach. Electrical Safety First says outdoor sockets should be at least IP44 and protected by an RCD, and it says not to plan a patio heater around an extension lead. If the Harrier’s 1.8 m, or the Pro Breeze’s 182 cm, stops short, the fix is a socket in the right place. A 13 A socket is the domestic ceiling for these heaters, up to 3,000 W. The SOUTHEATIC TW30R can use that whole allowance, so it should not share with a light string or a second lamp. If the breaker trips the moment you switch on, stop. That is an electrician’s visit, as is a missing outdoor socket, a missing RCD, or a cracked plug.
Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater

Testsieger

Harrier Harrier 2000 W patio heater
8.2/10about £48.99
View offer

Where it can stand or hang

Stand a tower on level ground and keep the beam on the chairs. The Harrier head tilts from 0 to 45 degrees. Do not cover the head, and do not use an outdoor-only heater indoors. The Harrier does not state a safety cut-out. Height is the figure in that model’s manual. The Knightsbridge states a minimum mounting height of 1.8 m, and it has one setting, so you cannot turn it down if the lamp is too close. This page will not invent a universal clearance. The Donyer HCH502 hangs on a 1 m chain, and the SOUTHEATIC PHE-1500B on a 50 cm chain. Move the heater only when it is off and cool enough to hold.

What an hour costs

Running cost here is a rule of thumb, not a bill. Ofgem’s GB average unit rate for a Direct Debit customer, from 1 October to 31 December 2026, is 26.32 p/kWh. The standing charge is separate. Northern Ireland is not included, and a fixed tariff you signed earlier is not this number. At 2.0 kW, about 53p an hour. At 3.0 kW, about 79p. Two hours on the Harrier’s 2,000 W setting is about £1.05 before the standing charge, if the plate really is 2,000 W. Do not treat 53p as proof that a 2 kW lamp feels like a gas mushroom. Gas work is a different trade.

Common questions

Can I use an extension lead with a patio heater?
Electrical Safety First says not to plan a patio heater on an extension lead. If the Harrier’s 1.8 m lead, or the Pro Breeze’s 182 cm lead, does not reach, have an outdoor socket fitted where the heater will stand. A longer lead in the box, such as the Knightsbridge’s stated 3 m, is a different product, and you still plug that lead straight into the socket.
What socket do I need outside?
Use an outdoor socket rated at least IP44, on an RCD, with a BS 1363 connection. Keep the heater as the serious load on that socket. A 3,000 W bar can take the full 13 A that Electrical Safety First allows for a patio heater, so it should not share. If the circuit trips at once, stop.
How much does a 2 kW patio heater cost per hour?
On the GB Direct Debit average of 26.32 p/kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026, 2 kW is about 53p an hour. That excludes the standing charge, it is not a Northern Ireland rate, and it is not your fixed-deal price. A 3 kW hour on the same rate is about 79p. The plate has to match the watts you multiply.
How high should the lamp be, and can I move it while it is on?
Use the height in that heater’s manual. The Knightsbridge states 1.8 m minimum. This comparison does not have a single clearance that fits every bar. Switch off and let the head cool before you move a tower or adjust a chain. A hot guard and a glowing tube are not safe to carry across the patio.
What if the lead is only 1.8 m?
Treat 1.8 m as the Harrier’s real constraint, because reviewers say it does not clear the extended base. Place the heater so the plug meets the socket without a join, or move the socket. The Daewoo listing claims 5 m, and its only review says the cord was shorter after assembly, so measure that one in the box as well.

Related pages

Patio heater for a gazebo

Electric or gas patio heater

Patio heater

Best patio heater if the lead and the IP code agree

Patio heater buying guide: tower, wall bar or lamp

Sources

Public UK sources for plugs, weather codes, LPG and the hourly arithmetic. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. Ofgem — Changes to the energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First — Patio heaters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Electrical Safety First — Ratings of electrical appliances (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. legislation.gov.uk — Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Liquid Gas UK — CGS 04 (August 2020) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE — Carbon monoxide FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Energy Saving Trust — Summer energy saving (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. BSI — BS EN 60335-2-30:2009+A13:2022 (retrieved 19 October 2026)