What's the most efficient type of electric heater you can buy? Here are the best options to avoid sky-high bills

We explore the different types, from fan to oil-filled

25 Dec 2025, 14:00 · TechRadar

Features By Tom May published 25 December 2025

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Picture this: you're working from home in a draughty spare bedroom that your central heating barely reaches, and your fingers are so cold you're mistyping every other word. Or maybe you've just moved into a new apartment and you're waiting for the landlord to sort out the dodgy boiler. Whatever your situation, you need heat, and you need it now.

Electric heaters are the go-to solution in these scenarios. But not all electric heaters are created equal. Some will warm you up quickly but cost a fortune to run. Others are brilliant at retaining heat but take ages to get going. And with energy prices as high as they are, choosing the wrong type could leave you with a shock when the bill arrives.

So, what actually makes an electric heater 'efficient'? Let's get one thing straight from the start: all modern electric heaters convert around 99-100% of the electricity they use into heat. But efficiency isn't just about conversion rates; it's about how well that heat serves your actual needs, how quickly you feel the benefit, and ultimately, how much it costs you to stay comfortable.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the most efficient portable heaters...

The main players

Ceramic heaters use a ceramic heating element that heats up quickly and self-regulates temperature. They're compact, responsive and efficient at heating smaller spaces, often with a small fan helping to push warmth into the room.

Fan heaters are straightforward devices that blow air over a metal heating coil. They're the workhorses of the electric heater world – heating rooms fast because they're actively moving air around, though they can be noisy and lose heat quickly once switched off.

Oil-filled radiators look like traditional radiators, and have thermal oil inside that gets heated by an electric element. They work silently and do a great job of maintaining steady, comfortable temperatures over several hours. The oil holds onto heat beautifully and continues radiating warmth even after you've switched the unit off. The downside? They take 15 to 20 minutes to warm up.

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