As energy prices rise, some households may be considering keeping their boilers off and using an electric heater to save money instead, but experts have advised against this.
Portable electric heaters are useful if you need a quick heating fix for a short time or if your boiler isn't working.
However, over a long period of time, electric heaters could end up costing households more than central heating, especially following the October price cap rise.
The consumer experts at Which? found that it'll take a portable heater between 15 and 30 minutes to raise the temperature of a medium-sized room by 10ºC at full blast.
If you pay for energy by the unit and with the current price cap, electricity is much more expensive than gas.
If you're on a standard variable tariff, the average unit price for dual fuel customers is 34p per/kWh for electricity and 10.3p per/kWh for gas. That means that a 2kW portable heater at its full output would use 34p of electricity every half an hour, reported the publication.
Once your room is up to temperature, it will toggle on and off as needed to maintain this.
If you do opt for electric heating, make sure you choose a model with good thermostatic control that can do this accurately.
Emily Seymour, Which? Energy Editor, shares some alternative ways to save money, saying: "If you are worried about affording your heating bills, there are things you can do to cut costs, such as turning down your boiler's flow temperature and making use of heating and hot water controls."
In addition to the costs, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) recently warned that portable heaters - as well as electric blankets, wood burning stoves and candles - could pose a fire risk.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alasdair Perry, Head of Prevention and Protection for SFRS, said: "Fuel poverty and rises in the cost of living are a real concern as we anticipate seeing a change in behaviours at home as people try to cope with rising costs.
"We want to ensure that people are aware of potential dangers and keep themselves and their loved ones safe at home.
"People could inadvertently be putting themselves at risk from fire and the deadly effects of carbon monoxide poisoning."
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