How much does it cost to run a halogen heater in the UK?

Price updated 9 July 2026 · Q3 2026 (Jul–Sep)

A typical halogen heater (800 W) used 3 hours a day, every day costs about £19.06 a month (£228.72 a year) at 26.11p/kWh.

Halogen heaters warm people rather than air — they emit radiant heat that you feel directly, like sunshine. That makes them cheap for spot heating one person on a sofa, because you can run them at low wattage (many have 400W, 800W and 1,200W bar settings) and still feel warm. They do little to raise the overall room temperature, so they are a targeted, low-cost option rather than a whole-room solution.

Work out your own cost

About £19.06 a month · £228.72 a year

Per hour21p
Per day63p
Per week£4.39
Per month£19.06
Per year£228.72

Uses about 876 kWh a year. Prefilled with the Ofgem cap of 26.11p/kWh — edit any box for your own figures.

Cost by model power

The same halogen heater can vary a lot between models, so here is the range from a low-power to a high-power example.

Based on 3 hours a day, every day, at 26.11p/kWh.
ModelPowerPer hourPer dayPer monthPer year
Low-power model 400 W 10p 31p £9.53 £114.36
Typical model 800 W 21p 63p £19.06 £228.72
High-power model 1,200 W 31p 94p £28.59 £343.09

What changes the cost

  • Which bar setting you use (400–1,200W)
  • They heat people, not rooms — position matters
  • Time spent directly in front of it
  • Not suitable for warming a whole room
Save money: Point it at you, not the room, and run it on the lowest bar that keeps you comfortable — radiant heat means you feel it immediately.

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