Convector heaters are usually taller than fan heaters, but thin and light – making them larger, but still relatively easy to move between rooms. The big question —how much do these radiators cost to run? While this will obviously vary depending on the size and type of your oil-filled radiator, there are ways of calculating the running costs of the models you are interested in. However, there are a number of different types of electric heaters on the market, which makes it difficult to know which type of electric heater is best suited to your requirements and which are more energy efficient than others. Oil-filled radiators can be cheaper than turning the central heating on if you are only heating one room. (Image credit: Getty) Are oil heaters cheap to run?

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 tend to be cheap to run, but some can be really slow to heat up. Most oil-filled heaters are also fairly heavy and cumbersome, so look out for models that come with wheels. They’re also safer than some portable heaters because there is no element that could be a fire hazard and are very quiet, so won’t disturb you while you try to meet deadlines or are just trying to relax in front of the telly. Many people have them by their feet beneath or next to their desk or table. How much do oil-filled radiators cost to run? Programmable timer Useful for setting a heater to turn on just before you get home or wake up, so there's no waiting around for the heater to warm up.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. Adjustable thermostat Using this function, a portable heater will heat the room and when the desired temperature is reached, it will try to maintain the room at that temperature. Most of the cheaper, simpler heaters we tested have a dial thermostat that doesn't let you choose specific temperatures in °C. You'll likely need to buy a more expensive model for that. Our tests also found that they're rarely 100% accurate and will probably think the room is a couple of °C warmer or cooler than it is. In general, oil-filled radiators are more economical to run than many other types of heater due to the fact that oil retains the heat well. This makes it more efficient than an electric convection heater, according to Qbic Heating. Electric oil-filled radiators are portable so you can heat only the room you are using to reduce your energy costs. Oil-filled radiator vs central heating Frost protection The heater can be set to heat automatically when the temperature drops below 5°C, but you'll need to have it on standby for it to run, so this can limit its usefulness.

These have exposed heating elements, which heat up cold air as it passes. This often leads to slower, but more even, heating. They tend to be a little slower than fan heaters, but are quieter, and our tests found some are still pretty speedy.On the downside, this type can be quite noisy and they don't have some of the more advanced features you can get with convector heaters.

Cold air setting Some fan heaters can help cool you down too. They're not nearly as effective as a dedicated air conditioner, but a light breeze of cold air is better than nothing. If you were to try replacing the use of your central heating by putting an electric heater in each room, it will definitely end up costing much more. Portable electric heaters use electricity, which costs 27.35p/kWh under the current energy price cap. Depending on how effective the heater is, they can take anything from 30 minutes to an hour to notably raise the temperature of a medium-sized room, so if you're only planning on using it until the room gets up to temperature, it will likely cost you between 28 and 55p.Under current energy prices, a run-of-the-mill plug-in electric heater can cost approximately 40p to 65p per hour to run on full blast. We assess how easily each electric heater can be set up and how easily understandable the controls and settings are. We used any handles to lift the heater and move it around. While some heaters can be used straight out of the box, others have complicated program and timer settings. How much an oil-filled radiator costs to run is also dependent on a few other factors. The following will all affect the running costs:

Oil-filled radiators are great for a long lasting heat. They work by heating thermodynamic oil inside the body of the radiator. When switched on, a heating element submerged in the oil heats up. This in-turn heats the oil, which transfers heat to the body of the radiator. As the radiator gets hot, the room is warmed via both convection and heat radiation.The nature of convection heaters mean they usually take a little longer until you feel the heat (compared to a halogen heater for example), but it will heat the whole room evenly. Typically, convection heaters are around 2000W in power output which does make them more expensive to run. On top of this, you might tend to leave a convection heater on for longer periods of time too (compared to radiant heaters). Where you only want to heat a single room, such as your home office, oil heaters will usually make more sense than turning on the central heating. However, if you need to heat your entire house, you are better off using central heating, providing you have a fairly efficient emitters such underfloor heating and an efficient boiler. What are the advantages of oil-filled radiators? These can still be bought, but they aren't as popular or widely available as fan or convector heaters. 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. 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. On top of this, to ensure extra safety, they come with built-in tip over cut out technology, which automatically switches the heater off should it tip over. Depending on what sized room you're wanting to heat, our oil filled heaters range from our mini radiator which is 800W in power right up to our larger 2500W oil filled radiator, meaning you’ll be able to find something to suit your requirements.