If you have the thermostat of your heater set to a desired temperature, the heater will toggle on and off once it reaches that temperature – depending on what's needed to maintain it. They’re handy if you want to heat a room fast, as they warm up quickly and send plenty of heat into the room. They can be installed on a wall just like standard types of radiator or can be freestanding units that can be moved to different rooms. However, many of the other (more high-watt) heaters come with built-in thermostat controls and sometimes timers, which will allow you to regulate their power output and how long you have them on for. When the element heats up, the warmth is transferred to the fluid, which then circulates around the appliance and warms itsmetallic panels.

As well as how quickly the average room temperature increases, we also use probes to check for any areas significantly hotter or cooler than the rest of the room. One of the biggest advantages of oil-filled panel heaters are their portability; it heats the areas of your house another conventional heater cannot simply because you can pick it up and move it there. Set on 4 castor wheels the heater is portable so you can position it where you need it most, with a convenient storage option for the power cord. Some portable heaters have useful extras, such as an LCD screen that displays the current temperature or a remote control for turning the heater on from across the room. You then divide your weekly heating cost by the number of hours you have it switched on and compare that figure to the cost of running your heater.Fan heaters are generally available for about 2000W, and are often available with thermostatic control. Finished in white, this eleven fin oil-filled radiator features a thermostat control and three heat settings. This 2000W oil-filled radiator has three heat settings and comes with a thermostat and anti-frost device and 24-hour mechanical timer.

Overall, electric heaters can be cheaper for providing a short-term blast of heat in a small area, but over the course of a full day you're probably better off sticking to central heating. Central heating is much more effective at maintaining a stable temperature over a longer period, whereas the heat from an electric heater will soon dissipate if the rest of your home is cold. They are also designed with wheels to allow for easy portability, meaning you can easily move the radiator between rooms in your home or office. The radiant heat means halogen heaters will heat up the area directly in-front of them, which is great if you want a quick blast of heat but not so much if you are looking to heat a whole room equally.

But when the cold weather closes in during Autumn and Winter, it’s easy to get carried away with exactly how much electricity we are using, especially when it comes to heating your home. Oil-filled radiators can be cheaper than turning the central heating on if you are only heating one room. Nearly all have some kind of carry handle for moving about and many have a safety cut-out feature, which will switch off the heater if it gets dangerously hot. Really, it all depends on what kind of heater you’re looking for and more importantly how you use it. The radiator also features a tip-over switch and overheat protection to ensure safety and guard against accidents.