---
title: "Heating cost per hour: heated throw vs heaters vs gas, oil and heat pump (UK)"
description: "Compare the hourly cost of a heated throw, electric blanket, plug-in heaters, and gas, oil, heat pump and electric central heating."
url: https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/heating-cost-per-hour/
---

# Heating cost per hour: throw, heaters, gas, oil and heat pump compared

Compare the hourly cost of a heated throw, electric blanket, plug-in heaters, and gas, oil, heat pump and electric central heating.

By [Pete Harvey](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/about/), editor. Updated 14 October 2026.

*This part of the page is an interactive tool. Open https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/heating-cost-per-hour/ in a browser to use it.*

## Heating costs at a glance

At the Oct to Dec 2026 price cap, with heating oil at 120.13p a litre, cheapest first. Central heating is for a house that needs 5kW of heat while it's on.

| Way of keeping warm | What it heats | Per hour | A 4-hour evening |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Electric blanket (double) | You, in bed | 2.6p | 11p |
| Heated throw | You, on the sofa | 3.2p | 13p |
| Halogen heater | Whoever is in front of it | 32p | £1.26 |
| Oil-filled radiator | One room | 39p | £1.58 |
| Air source heat pump | The whole house | 45p | £1.80 |
| Gas boiler | The whole house | 47p | £1.90 |
| Fan heater | One room, quickly | 53p | £2.11 |
| Oil boiler | The whole house | 73p | £2.91 |
| Electric heaters or electric boiler | The whole house | £1.32 | £5.26 |

## Heat the person or heat the room

The cheapest options on the list don't heat a room at all. An electric blanket or heated throw puts a small amount of heat right where you are, which is why it costs pennies an hour. If one person is sitting still in one room for the evening, that is usually the cheapest way to stay warm.

It stops working out when several people use different rooms, or when the house gets cold enough for damp to set in. Cold walls are where condensation and mould start, so keeping some background heat in the house matters even if you use a throw to top up.

## Heating the whole house

Gas costs far less per kWh than electricity under the price cap, so a gas boiler heats a whole house for much less than electric heaters doing the same job. A heat pump runs on electricity but moves around three units of heat for every unit it uses, which brings it level with gas, or a little below. Oil isn't price capped, so where it lands depends on what you paid for your last delivery; put that figure in the calculator.

Plug-in heaters make sense for one room, for short bursts, or where there is no central heating. Heating the whole house with them costs far more than gas, oil or a heat pump.

> **Safety**
>
> Keep heaters well clear of curtains, bedding and drying clothes, and never cover them. Don't use an electric blanket that is creased, damaged or more than about ten years old, and never with a hot water bottle.

## Sources

- [Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service: electric blankets](https://manchesterfire.gov.uk/your-safety/home-fire-safety/electrical-safety/electric-blankets/)

Checked 15 October 2026.

## Read next

- [Oil radiator vs fan heater vs halogen heater: running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/oil-radiator-vs-fan-heater-vs-halogen/) (Running costs)
  Which electric heater is cheapest to run, how thermostats change the answer, and which suits which room.
- [Electric blanket and heated throw running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/electric-blanket-running-costs/) (Running costs)
  What electric blankets and heated throws cost per hour, per month and per winter at the current price cap.
- [Best electric blanket and heated throw](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/best-electric-blanket-and-heated-throw/) (Buying guide)
  How to choose an electric blanket or heated throw, what they cost to run, and the safety features that matter.
- [What size dehumidifier do I need?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/dehumidifier-size-calculator/) (Calculator)
  Answer four questions about your home and get the dehumidifier size and type that suits it, with what it will cost to run.

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Running costs use 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026.