What winter warmth really costs per hour
Every way of keeping warm, ranked in pence per hour at the current electricity cap (~26p/kWh). The pattern is simple: warm the person < warm the room < warm the house — each step is roughly 10× the cost of the one before.
The table
| What | Typical power | Cost per hour | What it warms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric underblanket | 60–100W | 1–3p | Your bed |
| Heated throw | 100–160W | 3–4p | You, on the sofa |
| Heated airer | 230–300W | 6–8p | Your washing |
| Dehumidifier (compressor) | 150–250W | 4–7p | Dries the air; waste heat is a bonus |
| Oil-filled radiator (1.5kW) | 1500W | ~39p flat out; far less on thermostat | One room, gently |
| Fan heater (2kW) | 2000W | ~52p flat out | One room, fast |
| Gas central heating (typical 3-bed) | — | £1.50–£2.50+ while firing | The whole house |
Electricity at ~26p/kWh (Ofgem cap, summer 2026 — the cap resets each quarter, so check the current figure). Gas is ~4× cheaper per kWh than electricity, which is why whole-house heating stays on gas — but a boiler heats every room whether occupied or not, which is why an evening of it costs pounds while an evening under a throw costs pennies. Thermostatic devices cycle on and off, so “flat out” figures are ceilings, not typical usage.
How to actually use this
1. Layer the cheap stuff first. An electric blanket or heated throw at 1–4p/hour means a warm person in a cooler house. That’s the enabler for everything below.
2. Turn the thermostat down 1°C. The most dependable saving in home energy — roughly £80–£100 a year for a typical gas-heated home per the Energy Saving Trust. Under a throw, you genuinely won’t notice 18°C vs 19°C.
3. Shorten the heating day, don’t just lower it. Heating off an hour earlier each evening (everyone’s under blankets anyway) and on half an hour later each morning (the bed was pre-warmed) removes 500+ firing hours over a winter.
4. Heat one room, not the house, for odd hours. Working from home alone? A 1.5kW oil-filled radiator on its thermostat in one office beats firing the whole gas system — the crossover point is roughly when you’re heating for more than one or two people or rooms.
5. Check your tariff before the cold arrives. The price cap resets every quarter (next: 1 October). If a fixed deal undercuts the cap’s unit rates — compare pence per kWh and standing charge, not the headline “save X%” — fixing buys winter certainty. If you have a smart meter, tracker and time-of-use tariffs reward shifting usage (that heated airer overnight, for instance) but need you to actually look at the rates.
6. Mind the damp. A cooler house is a damper house — colder surfaces condense more moisture. If you follow the advice above, watch the windows and walls, and read our condensation & mould guide; a dehumidifier at 4–7p/hour is often part of the cheap-warmth package rather than an extra.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to keep warm in the UK?
Warming yourself, not the room: an electric underblanket (~1–3p/hour) or heated throw (~3–4p/hour) is 10–20× cheaper than any room heater. Then heat one room, then the house — in that order.
Does turning the thermostat down 1 degree really save money?
Yes — the most reliable saving in home energy. The Energy Saving Trust puts a 1°C reduction at roughly £80–£100 a year for a typical gas-heated home. Pair it with a heated throw and you won't feel the difference.
Is it cheaper to leave the heating on low all day?
Almost always no. Heat loss is proportional to the temperature difference between inside and out, so an always-warm house loses (and buys) more heat than one warmed when needed. Timers matched to occupancy win for the large majority of homes.
Should I fix my energy tariff for winter 2026?
Compare any fixed offer against the current cap and your own usage. A fix below the cap buys certainty through winter; the risk is the cap falling below your fix later. Check unit rates and standing charge, not the headline percentage.