Are Oil Filled Radiators Cheap to Run? Costs Explained

Contents:

• Key takeaways
• Oil-filled radiator running costs: what you can expect to pay
• How efficient are oil-filled radiators?
• What affects the running cost?
• Oil-filled radiators vs other heating options
• How to reduce running costs
• FAQs

Oil-filled radiators are an efficient way of heating your home, but running costs will vary depending on usage and tariffs.

A small oil heater is best-suited for smaller spaces or for occasional use, but it’s important to consider factors like how cheap oil-filled radiators are to run, their efficiency, and how they fare against other types of heating before purchasing.

Oil-filled radiators can be a great, energy efficient way to heat rooms in your home, but there are many key details you should know before buying one.

• Efficiency – Oil-filled radiators are highly energy efficient and can retain heat for up to 2.5 hours after being switched off. 

• Cost – Oil-filled radiators aren’t cheap to run and are best used in short bursts to avoid high running costs. The exact cost depends on the wattage, room size, insulation, and thermostat settings, but will land between 26p and 69p an hour. Electricity prices are far higher than gas prices, and this too will play a role in the total cost.

• Alternatives – Other heating options include fan heaters and convector heaters. Neither of these is as energy efficient, though. Central heating is another option and is more capable of heating an entire house rather than select rooms.

In the UK, the average cost to run an oil-filled radiator can be expected to sit around 26p-69p per hour, depending on wattage and thermostat use.

Running costs for electric appliances like oil-filled radiators are based on kilowatt-hours, i.e., how much wattage is used by the appliance in an hour. A larger heating appliance will most likely have a higher wattage and will therefore incur higher running costs.

These costs also depend on the duration of the appliance’s use, so running a heater for longer will certainly result in a higher cost. As a result, short bursts are the most cost-effective method.

The main driver of this cost, though, is electricity prices, which can fluctuate but are considerably higher than gas prices.

Oil-filled radiators are great at retaining heat, even sometimes after being switched off, due to the specialised thermal oil they use as a reservoir.

This oil holds onto warmth well and continues to transfer it to the metal fins, and allow the radiator to emit heat for a further 1.5-2.5 hours after being turned off.

An oil-filled radiator from De'Longhi, for example, is highly efficient for electric heating and is better than many alternative options, such as fan heaters, for retaining heat and for long-term use.

Are oil heaters cheap to run, though? Well, it's important to first recognise that energy efficiency does not equate to a lower price tag.

With radiators, energy efficiency refers to how much heat you get for the energy used. Oil-filled radiators use electricity, which can be far more efficient than gas heating systems, but are also more expensive per unit as a result. 

There are many factors that affect the cost to run an oil-filled radiator – whether it’s a De'Longhi oil heater or another model. 

• Heater Wattage – A higher heater wattage often means a higher cost, as more energy is consumed.

• Room Size – Larger rooms require more energy to heat, and so will mean higher bills.

• Insulation Levels – High-quality insulation acts as a thermal barrier that can reduce heating costs.

• Usage Time – The longer you use your heating appliance, the higher the bill will be.

• Thermostat Settings – Lowering your thermostat will reduce the workload of your heating system and reduce your bills as a result.

The cost of running oil-filled radiators depends on many factors. Running costs vary but can be reduced in many ways:

• Thermostat Use – Lowering your thermostat by just one degree and using it efficiently can make your oil-filled radiator cheaper to run.

• Improve Insulation – Proper insulation will keep warmth in the home during the winter and out of the home in the summer, reducing the need for heating systems and, therefore, cost.

• Room Choice – Only heat rooms that are in use to maximise cost-effectiveness.

• Switch Off – Ensure you switch off heaters when they are not in use.

• Sizing – A heater that’s too small for your room will struggle to heat it efficiently, forcing it to run at full capacity for longer periods of time. A heater that’s too large will heat a room very quickly and turn off, which can lead to inefficient frequent cycling.

Small changes to any of these factors can greatly impact how expensive storage heaters and oil-filled radiators are to run.