While we’ve seen some milder temperatures for this time of year recently, but with today being the shortest day of the year, the few daylight hours means our home’s have to work even harder to keep us warm.
With many of us planning on entertaining at home this Christmas, having a space that feels warm and welcoming, in the most energy efficient way, will be a top priority. For most homes, it won’t be cheaper to leave the heating on all day, but fortunately I have a sure fire way to avoid those cold spells between when you’re heating comes on, and if you are tactical about how you use it, it could help keep your energy bills under control over the festive season too.
Why is it a bad idea to have your central heating on all day?
There are a number of reasons it’s a bad idea for those with boilers and radiators to keep their central heating on low all day. ‘When the heating is constantly running, even at a low temperature, your boiler is still working and using energy unnecessarily,’ explains Nick Duggan, Director at The Radiator Centre. Instead it’s a better idea to use your central heating on a timer. Nick adds: ‘By heating in short, controlled bursts, you’re using less fuel overall, which makes a noticeable difference, particularly during the colder months when every saving counts.’
How well insulated your home is also plays into it. If your home leaks heat, either because of draughty doors and windows, or poor insulation, then having your heating on all day means you will be losing heat all day long, which definitely isn’t good for your energy bills either.
How to complement your central heating with an electric heater
I’m very particular about how many hours a day my heating is on for, and only have it on for an hour or so in the morning, an hour at lunchtime when I work from home, and then a couple of hours in the evening.
But in between those times when the central heating kicks in, it can get chilly. And so I complement it with an electric heater that I use to take the edge off if I need it. This means I heat the room I’m in, rather than heating the whole house unnecessarily.
However, when you look at the cost of running an electric heater, they can be a pricey way to heat your home. Add to that the fact that electricity is more expensive than gas.
Fortunately, though, they heat up quickly when you turn them on, which makes them suitable to use in short, sharp bursts in a single room, which is considerably cheaper than sticking your central heating on and warming the whole house when you don’t need to.
Let’s take a look at how the costs compare (for these I’m using the current energy price cap figures for October-December 2025, which are 26.35p/kWh for electricity and 6.29p/kWh for gas):
- For an average house, with a 24kW boiler and 10 radiators, this will cost £1.51 per hour
- For a larger home, with a 40kW boiler and 20 radiators, this will cost around £2.52 per hour
- An electric heater, like this Dreo Whole Room 714S heater (£99.99 at Amazon) that uses between 0.9 and 2kW, costs between 24 and 53p an hour to run.
Now the main difference here is the central heating will warm your whole house for that price, whereas the electric heater will just warm the room you are in. But that’s where the portability of the electric heater really shines.
If you find it feeling a bit too cool for comfort over Christmas, you can pop an electric heater in the corner, and pop it on for a bit, and you’ll be toasty until your central heating comes on again. Aim to keep doors and windows closed to keep all of that lovely warm air in, and remember to turn your heater off when you’re warm enough. Choosing a heater with app controls and timers makes this much easier.
Dreo Smart Whole Room Heater 714s
Ideal Home’s Lauren loved this Dreo heater when she reviewed it, appreciating how powerful, portable and quiet it was. It can also be used as a fan in the summer.
Pro Breeze 2500w 11 Fins Oil Filled Radiator Heater
This Pro Breeze model takes the top spot in our list of the best oil-filled radiators, thanks to its powerful performance, easy-to-use controls and affordable price point.
Dyson Purifier Hot+cool Hp1 Purifying Fan Heater
Now Dyson fans might be expensive, but they are worth the investment. This model is a heater, fan and air purifier in one single unit, which means you only need to buy one appliance rather than three.
Take more control with smart heating
For an even more efficient take on this idea of heating the room you are in, smart heating controls are worth investigating. They’ll allow you to zone your heating system and ensure you are only heating areas of your home as and when you need them.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Thermostat Radiator Valve
Control your radiators from your phone with a smart thermostatic radiator valve. This can help you zone your heating system rather than heating the whole house when you don’t need to.
Hive Thermostat Mini for Heating Control
If you have a combi-boiler, this Hive Smart Thermostat will let you control your heating from your smartphone wherever you are, meaning you use it more energy efficiently.
Tado Wireless Smart Thermostat X
Another option is this tado smart thermostat starter kit. Make sure you check it’s compatible with your heating set up before you buy.
To keep your bills under control over the festive period, it’s a good idea to make sure you aren’t wasting energy with your Christmas decorations too.
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