• 25% of households use plug-in electric heaters instead of gas central heating despite them costing between 3-3.7 times more to run
• 21% of households think portable electric heaters are cheaper to run than central heating despite electricity costing 3.9 times more than gas
• Nearly 4 in 10 households own at least one electric heater (38%) despite having central heating

A new study undertaken by Utilita’s energy saving experts has revealed that a quarter (25%) of UK households are paying as much as four times more for the heat they use, by opting for a plug-in electric heater over gas central heating.

As part of Utilita’s Power Price List series - which reveals the average running costs of 76 commonly used household electricals - its experts researched how many households with gas central heating still opt for an electric heater, despite the running costs ranging between 3-3.7 times more to heat one room.

A concerning 15 percent of those who opt for a plug-in heater over central heating claimed to do this all winter, opting to leave their central heating off completely.

When asked, respondents said they opted for plug-in heaters over central heating, for the following reasons:

• I only need to heat one room, so don’t want to turn on the heating (54%)
• They provide instant heat (45%)
• I assume they are cheaper to run than gas central heating (34%)
• I am not able to heat just one room with central heating (27%)

Dimitrios Stefanoglou, Sustainable Innovation Analyst at Utilita, comments:

“Around half (51%) of the households that use portable electric heaters said they would struggle to calculate the running costs of a heater versus using gas central heating for one room. So, we have done the work for them.

“Plug-in heaters cost significantly more to operate – on average, running an electric portable heater will cost £3 per day, compared to just £0.90 per day for gas central heating. They cost between 3-3.7 times more to run on average.

“Heating the average living room (17.1m²) with an electric portable heater would cost £400.46, compared to £136.17 a year with a 20-year-old boiler, or £108.65 with a new gas boiler equipped with smart controls.”

Utilita’s Power Price List is a database of the 76 most common household electrical items, revealing their average cost to run and when left in standby mode. The database looks at the impact on the pocket and the planet.

Dimitrios Stefanoglous continues:

“Electric heaters are power hungry, so switching from gas heating to electric portable heaters will result in an additional 34 kg of CO₂ emissions per living room per year. This translates to each household driving 127 additional miles in a car.

“Interested in consumer behaviours, the study also revealed what inspired their purchase of an electric heater. Most people either said a family member or friend had encouraged their purchase (39%), or that they had seen a TV advert (35%).”

Utilita’s Power Price List - pocket & planet-friendly

Utilita’s Power Price List reveals the following data for 76 commonly used household appliances:

• Average cost to buy
• Average cost / carbon generated per minute
• Average cost / carbon generated per use / cycle
• Average cost / carbon generated in standby mode
• Average miles driven in a standard car (equivalent carbon emissions)

A live version of a more in-depth Power Price List is available for consumer-facing organisations, researchers and reputable media outlets. Requests for access should be emailed to Lisa@sensecommunications.co.uk.