Electric heaters

Flat-panel heaters are often promoted as ‘eco’ or cheap to run. However they produce less heat than most other electric heaters, and so are only suited to small and/or well insulated rooms.

• Low surface temperature — panel heaters usually don't get hot enough for children or pets to burn themselves, but covering them with towels or clothes still poses a fire risk.
• Can take a long time to heat up a cold room — because of their relatively low heat output.
• Good for heating small rooms continuously — like bathrooms or small bedrooms and studies. However, leaving the heater on when you’re not there will result in unnecessarily high power bills.
• Often don’t have a thermostat. 

Convection and oil column heaters mostly heat air rather than surfaces. In a convection heater there are heating elements surrounded by a metal case, with vents at top and bottom. In an oil column heater, the heating element is surrounded by oil, which is permanently sealed in the heater. In both types, the hot air rises and then slowly circulates around the room, providing background warmth.

• Usually have a thermostat — good for quiet background heating.
• Good for heating bedrooms overnight — quietly on a thermostat.
• Struggle to heat rooms with high ceilings evenly and effectively.
• Can take a long time to heat up a cold room — because the heated air rises and collects beneath the ceiling, reaching the lower parts of the room only slowly. A fan or fan heater can be used to mix the heated air more effectively during the warm up period.
• May have a built-in fan to mix the air more effectively. Built-in fans are often small and not as effective as some fan heaters.
• Surface temperatures of convection and oil-column heaters are lower than micathermic and radiant heaters — so they’re safer, but still get hot enough to burn skin. 
• Safety first — convection heaters can easily be tipped over and the weight and sharp fins of oil column heaters can be dangerous to children. They shouldn’t be covered with clothes or towels. Some heaters can be fixed to a wall. 

A micathermic heater is a slim, lightweight heater that heats your space quickly and quietly. It combines two types of heating:

• Radiant heat (like the warmth you feel from the sun or a fireplace)
• Convection heat (which warms the air around you)

It uses mica panels to emit infrared heat, which warms up objects and people in the room directly. It also provides some convective heat, like a traditional convection heater.

• Provide more radiant heat than convection and oil columns heaters.
• Heats up quickly.
• Their exterior can get quite hot. This can be a hazard for children.
• Lightweight and easy to move around. 

Bar heaters with glowing elements and a reflector are radiant heaters. They mainly heat objects and people rather than air in a room, and are available as either free-standing, wall or high-wall mounted models.

• Good for rooms with high ceilings — as radiant heat delivers a more even air temperature from floor to ceiling.
• Good if you only want to heat one area of a very large space, which can help to reduce running costs. However, to heat the whole of a large living room well, a higher capacity type heater such as a heat pump would be more economical to run.
• Great for instant heat — rather than waiting for the air to warm up.
• Not suitable for bedrooms — many emit some visible light and they can also be a fire risk.
• Most don’t have a thermostat.

Infrared heaters (also called far infrared heaters) are a variation of radiant heaters and mainly heat objects and people rather than air in a room. Infrared heaters do not emit visible light, making them a suitable option for bedrooms. They are available as either free-standing, wall or ceiling mounted heating panels that can be made of a variety of materials, including glass and mirrors.

• Good for rooms with high ceilings — as radiant heat delivers a more even air temperature from floor to ceiling.
• Good if you only want to heat one area of a very large space, which can help to reduce running costs. However, to heat the whole of a large living room well, a higher capacity type heater such as a heat pump would be more economical to run.
• High-wall or ceiling mounted models can be installed out of children’s reach and away from furniture and flammable materials.
• More expensive to buy than most other electric heater types of similar heating capacity.
• Many have a low heating capacity (wattage), so multiple heaters may be needed to heat a room well.
• Most don’t have a thermostat — but can be installed with a room thermostat by an electrician. Alternatively, a plug-in thermostat can be used. 

Fan heaters (or ceramic heaters) can be noisy, but distribute heated air around your room rather than letting it form a layer of hot air below the ceiling.

• Fan heaters can boost convection heaters — providing additional heat and distributing the heated air more evenly, so your room feels warm quicker.
• The bigger the fan, the better the heated air will mix around the room.
• They provide quick warmth in smaller rooms — for example the kitchen or bathroom in the morning, where you need heating for very short periods of time.
• High-wall mounted models are good for bathrooms, especially ones that are too small for installing a high-wall mounted radiant heater.
• Most don't have a thermostat.