Electric heaters encompass an exceptionally broad range of products. They cover everything from the humble portable heater, to electric towel rails, all the way to ultra-slimline infrared panels. The wide spectrum of possible options combined with the modularity of the products on offer is what makes electric such a versatile heating method across the whole house. With an electric system, you’re never confined to just one solution; you’re free to mix and match your products however you please to produce the most pleasing effect for your rooms. What’s more, electric systems allow you to zone your heating so you can minimise energy usage in rooms you use less often and create heating routines that reflect how you use each individual space. If you’ve never used electric heaters before, we’ve put together a quick guide to illustrate their best applications so you can find the best solution for your space.
Panel Heaters
Best application: secondary spaces – studies, guest rooms
This type of electric heater is often the one we reach for when we need quick, effective heat at short notice. We typically associate electric panel heaters and convection heaters with portability and convenience, and it’s not uncommon for households to keep one in storage for occasions where supplementary warmth is required. This isn’t the limit of their use though – they’re also fantastic for secondary spaces in your home which may go unoccupied for long periods, such as home offices, spare rooms or dressing rooms. Wall panel heaters make a fantastic fixed solution that will get you warm in moments and their slimline profiles ensure you’ll always be making the most of the available space. Though they’re less efficient compared to products like electric radiators and infrared panels, their higher running cost will be offset by their more infrequent use. Modern electric panel heaters are fully programmable, just like an electric radiator, so you can schedule your heating to come on ahead of time if you know when you’ll need to use the space. However, as you’d expect, they work just as well for on-demand heating too.
Infrared Panels
Best application: primary spaces – living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways
Few heating solutions are as slimline or as stylish as an infrared panel when it comes to electric wall heaters. Their range of finishes means that there’s a panel for every single room in the home, and in the case of mirror panels, your infrared heater won’t even be noticeable as a heat source at first glance. Infrared panels are fantastic for the main areas of your home for several reasons. One of their key selling points is that they’re exceptionally energy efficient as the radiant heat they produce isn’t lost through air movement. All of the heat produced by an infrared panel will be absorbed by the walls and surfaces of the room, keeping the space at an even temperature. The type of heat they produce is also exceptionally comfortable and mimics the body’s natural warmth. When paired with thermostatic controls, infrared panels can be some of the most energy efficient electric heaters on the market. They can be programmed around your daily and weekly routine to keep energy usage to an absolute minimum, and with their high IP ratings, they even make great bathroom heating solutions.
Quartz Heaters
Best application: chilly, little-used spaces – utility areas, guest bathrooms, garages
Quartz heaters provide instantaneous warmth the moment they’re switched on with their strong and invigorating near infrared heat. Though their applications tend to be more limited, they’re an excellent choice for rooms around the home that are used appreciably less often or for very short periods of time. They’re often used in chillier rooms that are hard to keep warm using conventional methods or in rooms that may not have a dedicated heating system within. Examples include garages, which may not have built-in heating; chilly utility areas converted from old out-buildings; or small secondary bathrooms that get used infrequently or for short periods. The direct radiant heat of quartz heaters is especially useful in cold or poorly insulated interiors because it can heat key areas of the room without having to warm the entire space. They're also exceptionally suited to outdoor spaces, such as patios and verandas.
Towel Rails
Best application: bathrooms, cloakrooms, kitchens
Electric towel rails make wonderfully functional heating systems because they can be as simple or as complex as you desire. You can opt for fully programmable or basic on/off rails, and even choose whether you want your rail to act as a towel dryer only, or a room heater in its own right. Towel rails are one of the few electric heaters that are designed with clothes drying in mind, so if you regularly hang fabrics around the house to dry, they’re by far the best choice. They’re best suited to bathrooms but don’t underestimate the popularity of the electric towel rail within the kitchen! Towel rails can be a practical addition to many large kitchen spaces by providing a place for tea towels and cloths to hang and dry, ready for use.
Electric Radiators
Best application: primary spaces – living room, kitchen, bedrooms, hallways, conservatories
Last but certainly not least, we come to the electric radiator: the great all-rounder of electric heating and suitable for almost any location in the home.
Electric radiators provide a comfortable mix of convection and radiation, just like central heating radiators, and are a great introduction into electric as a heating system. Though electric radiators tend not to vary too much in terms of aesthetics, they come with a vast array of different heating elements and shapes to suit the majority of spaces, including rooms that may be hard to heat using conventional means. Rooms with high ceilings are well-served by dry stone element radiators which use ceramic plates designed to push heat out with more intensity and retain warmth for improved efficiency. For conservatories or loft spaces with dwarf walls, there are also reduced height radiators available which are designed to snugly fit into these awkward spaces. Most electric radiators come with integrated 24/7 programming functionality so you can create individual heating patterns for each room in the house, minimising waste whilst maximising your own comfort. For total ease of use, WiFi enabled electric radiators such as the Haverland Smartwave or Technotherm KS DSM allow you to program your heaters from a compatible smartphone or tablet – a revolutionary means of control which removes the need for individual manual programming across your system. You may have noticed that, unlike infrared panels, we don’t recommend electric radiators for bathroom spaces. This is because there’s always the temptation for users to dry towels over them, which can cause a significant hazard! Though it is possible to use electric radiators in bathrooms, more often than not you’ll find towel rails or infrared panels the more practical option.
Electric Heating – A Comprehensive System for your Home
There you have it – every room in your house can be covered by electric heating, and if you prefer, you can select one tailored to each room space. It’s perfectly fine to stick with one particular kind of heater throughout most of your home, especially if you have a central controller that allows you to program multiple heaters, but remember that the sky’s the limit when it comes to your options. You might have electric radiators through your main rooms but have a towel rail in the bathroom and a panel heater in the guest room, or perhaps infrared panels throughout most of your home but a quartz heater in your garage. Whatever your needs, electric heaters have you covered...
