Electric radiators

Not every room is on the central heating, and that is where electric radiators come in. They plug in or wire to the mains and heat on their own, with no pipework to run, so they suit the places a wet system never reached: an extension, a conservatory, a converted loft or a room you only heat now and then. They are quick to fit and simple to control, with the trade-off that electricity costs more per unit than gas. This page covers when electric makes sense and how to choose.

When does electric make sense?

Electric radiators earn their place where running a wet (plumbed) radiator would be awkward or expensive. The clearest cases are rooms with no central heating pipework: extensions and garden rooms, conservatories, loft conversions, garages and outbuildings, and the occasional spare room you would rather heat on its own than fire up the whole system for. Because there is no plumbing, an electric radiator is far easier to add to a finished room than extending the heating circuit. If your room is already on the central heating and working well, a wet radiator is usually the cheaper heat; electric is for where the pipes do not go.

They also suit homes with no gas supply at all, where the whole house runs on electricity, and rooms that are used only now and then, where heating a single space on demand beats warming the whole house to reach one room. The common thread is independence: an electric radiator answers to its own thermostat and timer, not the boiler, so it heats exactly the room you want, exactly when you want it.

Plug-in or wired?

Electric radiators come in two fitting styles. A plug-in model simply plugs into a socket, so you can fit it yourself and move it if needed, which suits a temporary or occasional room. A wired (fixed) model is connected to the mains by an electrician and mounted permanently, for a tidier finish with no trailing lead, which suits a room you heat regularly. Both heat the same way; the choice is about whether you want the flexibility of a plug or the neatness of a fixed install. For a permanent room, wired usually looks better; for flexibility, plug-in wins.

Controls and running cost

Most electric radiators come with their own thermostat and timer, so you can set each room to heat only when you use it, which is the key to keeping the cost sensible. Being honest about that cost matters: electricity costs more per unit than gas, so heating a whole house on electric radiators is usually dearer to run than a gas wet system. Where electric shines is the single room off the circuit, heated only when needed, where the easy install and room-by-room control outweigh the unit cost. Use the timer and thermostat well, heat only the rooms in use, and electric is an efficient answer for the right space rather than a whole-home heating plan.

For a bathroom, an electric heated towel rail does the same independent job; valves and accessories complete a wet radiator if you are heating from the boiler instead.

Electric radiator FAQs

When should I choose an electric radiator?

When a room has no central-heating pipework or you want to heat it independently: extensions, conservatories, loft conversions, garden rooms and occasional spare rooms. With no plumbing to run, electric is far easier to add to a finished room than extending the wet system.

Are electric radiators expensive to run?

Electricity costs more per unit than gas, so running electric radiators throughout a house is usually dearer than a gas wet system. For a single room off the circuit, heated only when needed and controlled by a timer and thermostat, the cost is much more reasonable and the easy install often makes it worthwhile.

Do electric radiators need an electrician?

A plug-in model does not: it plugs into a socket and you can fit it yourself. A wired (fixed) model should be connected to the mains by a qualified electrician for a permanent, tidy install. Choose plug-in for flexibility, wired for a neater finish in a room you heat regularly.

Can I run my whole house on electric radiators?

You can, and it avoids a boiler and pipework, but it usually costs more to run than gas central heating, so it suits homes without a gas supply or off-grid rooms more than a typical gas-heated house. Good controls and room-by-room use keep the cost down if you do, and modern electric radiators with accurate thermostats and timers make that far easier than older storage heaters ever did.

Shop electric radiators for rooms off the heating circuit, with timers and thermostats for room-by-room control. Trusted since 1999, with free UK delivery and 365-day returns. Big brands, small prices.