Cheapest way to heat a garage
With the cold days coming in fast, you may well be thinking of the best way to heat your garage, with electricity and gas prices at the moment everyone is looking for a good way to do it on a budget. So what is the cheapest way to heat a garage that also works? After all, a cheap way that doesn’t work isn’t really cheap at all now is it?
Three Choices
You have three different choices for efficient garage heating, an electric tube heater, a gas space heater or an electric infrared heater. Each of these options has different pros and cons which I will dive into deeper below.
Tube Heater
- Built in thermostat
- 4ft (1323mm total length) - (w) x 81mm(h) x 80mm Weight: 1kg
- DPD delivery with a 1 hour time slot
- Ambient temperature technology - Splash proof
- Switched on/off automatically
A tube heater is a very efficient way of heating up any space. They are electrically powered but have low energy usage when compared with other electric heaters.
This 160W Tubular Heater will provide a safe, low level of heat output, as it has been designed for continuous operation, and has the ability to reach normal operating temperatures within a few minutes after the appliance is switched on.
Based on the surrounding environment and ambient temperature, the heater may periodically cycle its heat output, to ensure the maximum permitted surface temperature is not exceeded.
The cost to run
So using a nifty energy calculator, and the average UK 2022 electricity cost of 34.0 pence per kWh the cost to run this tube heater for a 30-day month comes to £39.30
This is calculated with the tube heater running 24/7.
Compare this to a 2000W fan heater which would cost £489.60! when run for the same time!
Pros & Cons
Cons
- Not going to heat a large space
- Will only warm the area very close to it
Pros
- Very cheap to run and purchase
- Can be run 24/7 to prevent freezing for important items
Gas Space Heater
- 40,500Btu/hr(11.5kW) (Propane).
- Features safety solenoid preventing the unit from leaking gas without first being electrically started.
- Fan assisted, fitted with a piezoelectric ignition system for trouble-free starting and features a direct gas head assembly.
This space heater from Sealey really blasts out some heat. It connects to a propane tank but also needs electrical power for the fan and ignition system.
Lighting the Sealey gas space heater is really simple thanks to the piezo ignition. Simply turn the gas on, push the gas button and hit the ignition button, job done!
The cost to run
While you may initially scoff at the idea of a gas heater and think it will be extortionate to run, you may well be shocked.
The Cylinder
On your first bottle, you will have to pay for the cylinder, but this is a one-off cost. Looking at Flogas for an 11kg propane gas cylinder with a screw fitting this charge will be £38.50
After paying for the cylinder, each refill will only cost £37.75 for an 11kg cylinder.
How long will it last?
Running off an 11kg cylinder, the heater will run for approximately 12-15 hours depending on how high you set the heater.
This equates to a running cost of £2.52 to £3.15 per hour. While this sounds really expensive at first, you have to bear in mind the heat output. This heater will heat a garage quick, meaning you may only need to switch it on once in the morning and run for 30 minutes. Whereas with many electric heaters, you will need to run them almost continuously.
So if you ran this heater for one hour a day it would cost you between £75.60 and £94.50 for a 30-day month. If you ran it for half an hour then you will obviously halve your costs.
Pros & Cons
Cons
- Expensive to purchase
- Expensive to run for extended periods of time
- Have to keep getting gas bottles refilled
Pros
- Very good at heating large spaces
- May only need to run it for 30 minutes a day
Infrared Heater
- Built-in Temperature Receiver - equipped with a remote control that allows you to adjust the temperature of the panel, and to set different timers.
- Eco-friendly and Energy Saving - 50% cheaper compared to other heating systems.
- Fantastic Space Heater - With such a slimline panel heater, you don’t have to worry about it taking up too much room, Mounting kits also included, easy to install.
These infrared heaters are a lot more energy efficient than a regular electric fan heater. They work almost like a radiator, the whole panel heats up and then radiates this heat out. It has no fan or anything to blast the heat out.
The model above is 700W so with the same electricity charge for 2022 of 34 p per kWh this comes out to £5.71 a day or £171.30 per 30-day month. Again this is using the unit 24/7 which you won’t be doing in a garage.
The device itself will not run 24/7 even if you have it turned on, so those prices aren’t realistic but are the max you would ever pay. This is because the device has a thermostat and will shut off the heating element when it has reached targeted levels.
If you just want to heat the room when you are in there or for a few hours a day then it will be a lot cheaper.
This unit will cost 23.80 pence per hour to use, so say you had it come on for 3 hours per day when you were in the garage, that would be £0.71 per day or £21.30 per month.
Pros & Cons
Cons
- Expensive to purchase
Pros
- Good at heating larger spaces
- Doesn’t have to be run 24/7 to provide effective heating
- Can be programmed to come on at certain times
