How much does it cost to run your heater in winter 2023?

How much does it cost to run a heater in winter 2023?

We looked at a 100 heaters in total to find out it would cost an average of $228 to heat your home this winter.

This includes 8 different types of electric heaters and 2 types of gas heaters.

Your actual costs may be smaller or larger depending on a variety of factors, including:

• How often you use your heater
• The actual price you pay for electricity or gas from you provider
• How many heaters you choose to run
• Level of insulation in your home
• Climate where you live

• How we calculated average winter heating costs

  We compared over 100 heating units across 10 categories that are currently rated as 4.5 stars or better by their customers.

  We sourced the kWh and MJ from a number of retailers, only choosing products that were highly rated by consumers. We multiplied these numbers by the median market usage rate (from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) Annual Retail Markets Report 2021–22) for electricity and gas to get an hourly running cost.

  Finally, to calculate our "winter running cost", we took the hourly cost and multiplied it by 4 hours of use every day for 90 days of winter.

  Electric heaters details

  Heater type	Average hourly usage (kW/h)	Hourly running cost	Winter running cost (4 hours per day)
  Convection Heater	2.0	$0.58	$208
  Fan heater	1.9	$0.54	$194
  Oil-filled column heater	2.1	$0.60	$215
  Panel heater	1.7	$0.49	$178
  Radiant bar heater	2.1	$0.59	$214
  Radiant Convection	2.6	$0.76	$272
  Reverse cycle air conditioner	1.2	$0.35	$127
  Tower heater	3.4	$0.98	$354

  Gas heaters details

  Heater type	Average hourly usage (MJ/h)	Hourly running cost	Winter running cost (4 hours per day)
  Convection Heater	17.2	$0.69	$248
  Radiant convection heater	19	$0.76	$274

  Costs are an estimate only. Your actual running costs may be different. They can be affected by multiple factors including actual usage, level of insulation in your home, climate and prices.

What type of heater is the cheapest to run?

According to our calculations, reverse cycle air conditioners are the cheapest way to stay warm this winter. Our figures are based on running a heater for 4 hours a day.

Based on the 10 models we analysed, the average running cost per day is $1.41 or $127 for the winter period.

Just keep in mind that running costs will increase depending on how big your air con is and the size of the room you're heating.

Upfront costs are also high if you don't already have one installed. However, they can significantly save you money in the long run.

Alternatively, here are some other options to consider:

• Panel heaters are the second cheapest type of electric heater to run, costing $1.97 per day. The average daily cost of electric heaters is $2.06.
• Convection heaters are the cheapest type of gas heater to run, costing $2.76 per day. The average daily cost of gas heaters is $2.90.

Costs are an estimate only. Your actual running costs may be different. They can be affected by multiple factors including actual usage, level of insulation in your home, climate and prices.

Which type of heater is the most energy-efficient?

Reverse-cycle air conditioners are both the cheapest and most energy-efficient way to heat your home.

This comes down to the way they work. We won't get into the technicalities but it boils down to this:

While other electric and gas heaters have to use energy to "make" heat, a reverse-cycle system actually "takes" heat from outside of your home and releases it to warm a room. Isn't science wonderful?

Reverse-cycle air conditioners are able to generate 3 or more kilowatts (kW) of heating per 1kW of electricity consumed.

If you're not looking to install a reverse-cycle air conditioner, you can still look at the individual efficiency ratings of other appliances and choose the one with the highest energy rating.

• What are the other benefits of reverse-cycle air conditioners?

  Warming in winter, cooling in summer. Because a reverse-cycle air conditioner can perform both functions, you no longer have to worry about swapping over appliances each season or storing the unused appliance.

  • Cleaner air. Some air conditioners have purification features and filter the air, removing pollutants and dust as air passes through them.
  • Less noise. Compared to traditional eclectic or gas heaters, some reverse-cycle air conditioners make a lot less noise.
  • Cheapest form of heating to run. Compared to all types of electric portable heaters and gas heaters reverse cycle air conditioners are far cheaper.

What are the differences between electric and gas heaters?

There are many variables at play when considering if electric heating is cheaper or more expensive than gas.

How else can I reduce my winter energy bills?

Finder's Cost of Living report shows rising energy costs are causing Aussies the 4th most stress, after groceries, rent/mortgage and petrol.

Besides looking for a cheaper, and more energy efficient heater type, consider:

• Switching energy providers. There's probably a better offer out there especially if you haven't switched energy plans in over 12 months. Consider providers that are offering electricity and gas deals, including sign up credit.
• Using electric blankets. When it comes to staying warm, an electric blanket is actually the cheapest option according to our analysis, costing just 14 cents a day to run.
• Switch things off. When you turn an appliance off, it's still using power in standby mode. It might not be much but the cost can quickly add up. Make sure to turn off electric devices at the power point. It's a small habit change that could save you $100 a year.
• Consider changing tariffs. If you have a smart meter, you may be able to change from a single-use tariff to a time of use tariff. How much you could save depends on your state and provider.
• Keep an eye out for government incentives. With the rising cost of living, various states are offering reductions on your power bill via government subsidies. Keep an eye out for what you might be entitled to via your state government's website.

Read our guide for more energy-saving tips.

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Frequently asked questions

• How much does a 2400 watt heater cost to run in Australia?

  While the exact cost of running your heater depends on what you pay for energy, you can get a rough idea of the cost based on the wattage or megajoules. Here we have calculated the hourly cost of running a heater (by wattage or megajoules) based on the median energy price.

• How much does it cost to run an electric blanket compared to a heater?

  Electric blankets are much cheaper than heaters, though an obvious drawback of only heating your bed or having a blanket that you walk around with.

  Based on our comparison of 10 electric blankets, we found the total winter running cost to be $13 on average. That's significantly cheaper than the winter running cost of the heaters we compared which ranged between $127 and $354.

• How do I calculate heater running costs?

  Calculating your heater's running cost is simple and the first step before shopping around for a cheaper one.
  1. Find the label that describes the input power in MJ for gas or kW for electricity.
  2. Check your power bill for the usage rate you're paying for your gas or electricity.
  3. Multiply the input power by the usage rate to find your running cost per hour.

  What if I want to know the cost for the whole of winter?
  To calculate an estimate of how much you'll pay to run your heater over the whole of winter, just take your formula a few steps further.

  4. Take the running cost per hour and multiply it by the number of hours you think you'll use the heater each day.
  5. Multiply that figure by 90 (the number of days in winter) to get your total winter running cost.

  Your total winter cost all up will be higher or lower depending on if you bought a new heater or already had one. Simply add your retail price and your total winter running cost and you'll have your full heating and appliance cost figured out.

• What are the different types of heaters?

  There are broadly 3 types of heaters available:

  Gas heaters

  Gas heaters are typically capable of heating a room faster than an electric heater. They come in 2 types: convection and radiant convection.

  Convection gas heaters draw in cold air and heat it via a gas-powered element which is then released back into a room. Radiant convection heaters have an element that is slightly exposed, providing more focused heating.
  Due to the risk of carbon monoxide, Australian laws require some gas heaters to have a flue to vent any emissions. This makes them less portable.

  Portable electric heaters

  There's a greater variety of electric heaters and unlike gas heaters, they tend to be highly portable.
  Convection and panel electric heaters work similarly to gas heatings drawing in cold air, heating it via an element and dispersing it back into the room.

  Oil-filled column heaters use electricity to heat oil inside a column which slowly heats the room. They can heat the room slower than other heaters.

  Fan heaters blow hot air at a single location while tower heaters are similar but typically oscillate, spreading hot air around the room in an arc.

  Reverse-cycle air conditioners

  Reverse-cycle air conditioners can be a good investment as they can heat in winter and cool in summer. They may have different energy efficiency ratings for heating and cooling and will typically use more power to heat than cool.