You may have seen the TV ad that claims it costs only 9 cents an hour to run a Nobo electric heater.
One of our readers asked us, “Are Nobo heaters truly as economical as they claim to be?”
The Nobo claims
The Nobo website states it costs 9c/hr to run a 1500W heater. This calculation is based on power costing 12.5c per kWh in Australia in 2007. At New Zealand typical rates in 2009, (21c/kWh), it’s more like 16c/hr.
A Nobo chart says this heater will keep a small room (2.5 x 3m) at around 18°C to 20°C if it’s insulated to a higher level than the New Zealand building code and has insulating drapes on the windows.
Nobo says a 5m x 5m lounge insulated to the same level needs a 2500W heater, which would cost 53c/hr. A small heat pump, by comparison, can deliver 3200W of heat for 14c/hr.
Econoheat also advertises cheap-to-run heaters. They are cheap to run because they’re very small. These 260W and 400W heaters will run for just over 5c and 8c per hour. We think you’d need to run two of the larger ones day and night to keep a typical bedroom warm in winter weather. That’s $4.03 a day.
Other options
But there are cheap-to-run plug-in portable “heaters”. Actually, they are portable heat pumps! DeLonghi and Dimplex offer a small selection of portable models and we think they’re worth considering, especially if you're renting. But check with your landlord – they may have to agree to modifications to connect the outside unit without draughts.
Otherwise, this is the deal: there are NO electric plug-in type heaters that are more economical or efficient to run than others. Electric heaters with the same rated heat output will all have the same running cost.
If electric heaters are your only choice, our recommended models are best at distributing the heat evenly, so make those your first choice. Avoid wastage by making sure you lose as little heat from your rooms as possible.
More from consumer.org.nz
- Appliance running costs - find out what a range of household appliances cost to run
- Oil-filled heaters - test results and buying advice
- Heat pumps - our comprehensive guide to choosing a heat pump
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You mention these in Other Options above, but I can't see them on the Dimplex & DeLonghi websites. How could I find more about them? Have they perhaps discontinued them? Thanks
http://www.econo-heat.co.nz/benefits.php
This heater claims to be more efficient than other forms of electric heating. Can anyone comment on this please?
Here's an idea - how about a device which plugs into the power socket, and then you plug your applicance into this device and it tells you exactly how much power is being used?
If these have already been invented, please tell me where i can buy them!
P.s; I'm already aware of those things that plug into your power box outside. That doesnt tell you how much a specific appliance uses.
Surely running a 1500W heater for an hour uses 1.5KWh of energy, which will then cost around 30c.