The countdown to winter is underway and with days already beginning to cool, people are concerned about impending energy bills.
As a result, households are looking for any way they can shave costs and reduce their energy use. While there is a wealth of information available online, there are some tips that are sparking debate over whether they actually help.
One such hack is the use of a space heater in replacement of central heating. However, there is confusion as to whether they are actually cheaper to run.
Read More: Met Eireann's 30-day forecast with Ireland to get wintry blast in October
One boiler expert has stepped in to clarify and to warn households that using such heaters may cost them more in the long run. Mark Ronald, Lead Engineer at Hometree, the boiler & home cover provider, said: “From an environmental perspective, mobile oil heaters are not the most eco-friendly. However, from an efficiency point of view, they are around 99% efficient.
“Individually speaking, they are cheaper to run than central heating. The hourly usage for a 2KW mobile oil heater would be approximately 70p (€0.80), but it can only heat one room, not the whole house.
“For an hour of the average 24KW combi boiler, this would be around £2.70 (€3) per hour- with around 95% efficiency, if the boiler has been set up correctly."
While examining costs shows central heating to be more costly than a single portable heater, it is important to remember that the latter will be more expensive for less heat.
Mark concluded: “However, the difference would be that the combi will heat the whole property. When you take all this into consideration, central heating is a better option, as you would need to run around 4-5 oil heaters to heat the majority of small houses."
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