Cheaper

[codswallop166]

What is the cheaper to run a 2 K/W electric fan heater or three average size radiaters run by a gas boiler? Thanks.

[The Builder]

We're often asked something like this Cods. It's hard to say as you're not comparing like with like. They're two completely different systems.

Conventional boiler or Combi?

Are the three rads all in the same room?

If it's a conventional boiler (with airing cupboard immersion), then would it be supplying hot water at the same time?

Electric bar heater or fan heater?

[Buenchico]

Like TB, I can see many complicating factors here.  However I'll try to look at it in a very simple way: 

If you're heating the room to the same extent  with either system, then the heat output in kWh must be much the same. 

It costs nearly 4 times as much to produce 1 kWh of heat using electricity as it does when using gas.  (Source: https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/cost-running-gas-central-heating/ ). 

Admittedly there will be some losses in the system when using gas central heating but they'll be nowhere enough to put the cost up four-fold. 

So, as I see it (and continuing to assume that each of the two systems is warming the room to the same level), using the gas boiler must be significantly cheaper.

[gingejbee]

^and apart from all that, the fan heater is just warming the air while it is switched on. The radiators continue to radiate heat even when the boiler isn't running.

[codswallop166]

Thanks to you all for your replies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to you all for your replies. You all put  good cases but I'll go tor BC's answer that I was hoping for. Thanks again.