house heater -electricity

[tali122]

which type of portable house heaters(ie fan , halogen ,parraffin etc) use the least electricity when running -and which use the most?

[buildersmate]

All electric heaters are very efficient at converting electricity to heat. Little is wasted (the fan in a fan heater uses very little) so the electricity you buy is effectively 100% converted. That doesn't mean they are the cheapest to run because you have to factor in the price you pay for the electricity. That's why electric storage rads work for some people - the conversion to energy process works the same but the electricity is bought at a lower price normal normal rate. Don't get conned by 'halogen' or 'ceramic' labels on heaters. They still work the same in terms of conversion efficiency.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, paraffin heaters use no electricity! i

[ianess]

paraffin produces vast amounts of moisture so for that reason alone it's best avoided.
With any form of electric heating, minimize draughts and use a thermostat control to maintain a comfortable level.
A 1Kw heater working flat out will use the same as a 2Kw heater just ticking over if the thermostat is set correctly.
Sounds crazy but it's true.

[tali122]

thanks -dont fan heaters in particular use up more elec than others?

[ianess]

Fan heaters use so little extra electricity it can virtually be discounted. Their biggest inconvenience is that there is always a low-level background noise from the revolving fan.
My preference would be for an oil-filled convector but it really is just down to personal choice.