Best Electric Radiators

Our blog is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for your support!

Electric radiators have moved a long way from the storage heaters and basic panel heaters of the 1980s. The best models now combine accurate digital thermostats, Wi-Fi scheduling, and slim modern profiles that look more like a design feature than a heating appliance. The Devola Wifi Enabled Smart Electric Glass Panel Heater 2000W is our top pick, it won the Good Housekeeping Institute approval in 2025 and is the most reviewed smart electric radiator on Amazon UK.

We’ve reviewed the best electric radiators available on Amazon UK right now, from budget eco panel heaters to Wi-Fi connected glass panel models, so you can find the right fit for your home.

Our Top Picks

5 Best Electric Radiators

1. Devola Wifi Smart Electric Glass Panel Heater 2000W

This is the electric radiator that UK heating professionals and consumer press keep coming back to. The Good Housekeeping Institute approved it in 2025, and 1,295 verified buyers have kept the rating at 4.3 stars across what is now the most comprehensively reviewed smart electric heater in this category on Amazon UK. That’s a meaningful signal in a category that has seen a lot of short-lived entrants.

The Wi-Fi connectivity integrates with the Devola app and works with Alexa, practical rather than gimmicky. You can set weekly schedules, control temperature from your phone when you’re away, and use open-window detection that pauses heating automatically when it senses a rapid temperature drop. At 2,000W with IP24 splash-proof rating, it’s suitable for both living rooms and bathrooms.

The glass panel design is a genuine aesthetic upgrade over the plastic alternatives. In a kitchen or modern bedroom, it looks intentional rather than functional. The integral precision thermostat is accurate to within half a degree, which matters for actual energy efficiency, an inaccurate thermostat that overshoots wastes more energy than the schedule savings can recover.

At £119.99, it’s the mid-range option on this list. For any room that will be heated on a regular daily schedule, the scheduling capability pays back the price premium quickly.

Features

• 2,000W output with Wi-Fi and app control
• Good Housekeeping Institute 2025 approved
• Alexa compatible, smart home integration
• IP24 rated, suitable for bathroom use
• Open window detection
• Precision thermostat accurate to 0.5°C
• Wall mountable or freestanding with bracket

2. Dimplex ECR20Tie 2kW Portable Eco Radiator

The Dimplex ECR20Tie has the highest rating on this list, 4.6 stars from 364 verified buyers, and comes from a brand with over 70 years in UK electric heating. While the Devola dominates on smart features, the Dimplex wins on thermal performance and near-silent operation.

This is an oil-free column radiator, which distinguishes it from the glass panel heaters elsewhere on this list. The column format heats up faster than oil-filled equivalents and continues to radiate warmth after switch-off, but without the weight and slow start-up of traditional oil-filled designs. Dimplex’s thermal compound technology stores and releases heat efficiently.

At £98.89 with wheels for easy room-to-room movement, it’s the most portable option here. No Wi-Fi, no app, it has a manual thermostat and runs on a standard plug. For a spare bedroom, a garage workshop, or any room where you want effective heating without complexity, it’s the straightforward professional choice. The Dimplex name alone carries significant reliability confidence in the UK heating market.

Features

• 2,000W oil-free column design
• Near-silent operation
• Thermal compound stores and releases heat
• Portable, wheels included
• Standard plug, no installation required
• Adjustable thermostat

3. Devola Wifi Smart Electric Glass Panel Heater 2000W, Wall Mounted

This is the permanently wall-mounted version of the top-pick Devola, same Good Housekeeping approval, same 1,295 reviews at 4.3 stars, same 2,000W output and Wi-Fi capability, but designed for fixed installation rather than freestanding use.

The wall-mounted format is worth the £15 premium over the standard model if you want a cleaner finish. No visible brackets, no unit that can be knocked or moved accidentally, and a sleeker installation that integrates with the room rather than sitting in front of it. Installation requires a qualified electrician for hardwired connection to a fused spur, the same work required for any fixed electric heater.

For a primary bedroom, a living room, or any space where the electric radiator will be in permanent use, wall mounting is the right approach. It commits the unit to the room but removes the visual clutter of a freestanding appliance.

Features

• 2,000W wall-mounted configuration
• Wi-Fi and Alexa compatible
• Good Housekeeping Institute 2025 approved
• IP24 splash-proof rating
• Open window detection
• Hardwired installation, professional fitting recommended

4. Devola DVNDM24 2400W Eco Electric Panel Heater

If you want more wattage than the standard 2,000W models, either because you have a larger room or because your property has significant heat loss, the Devola 2400W Eco is worth considering. At £84.45 it’s the most affordable option here, and the 2,400W output gives it a meaningful advantage over the 2,000W units for larger spaces.

The trade-off is that this is a no-Wi-Fi model. You get an adjustable thermostat and the standard panel heater form factor, but no app control or scheduling. For a room that’s used at predictable times and where manual control is acceptable, this is a practical budget choice.

The 3.9-star rating from 294 reviews is the lowest on this list and reflects the limitations of a budget model, some buyers report the thermostat being less precise than the premium Devola Wifi units. For occasional use in a room that doesn’t need scheduling, it performs adequately. For daily primary room heating, the step up to the Wifi model is worth the extra cost.

Features

• 2,400W, highest output on this list
• Adjustable thermostat with multiple heat settings
• Eco mode for efficient temperature maintenance
• Overheat protection
• Suitable for wall mounting or freestanding

5. Devola DVNDM10 1000W Eco Electric Panel Heater

The 1,000W version is the right choice when a larger unit would overheat the space. Small bedrooms, box rooms, home offices, and bathrooms often need less than 2,000W, and running a 2,000W unit on its lowest setting all day is less efficient than a correctly sized 1,000W unit cycling naturally at a higher duty cycle.

At £69.99 with 186 reviews at 4.4 stars, it’s the best-rated eco model on this list and the most economical option for smaller rooms. The eco mode functions effectively, maintaining target temperature more consistently than basic on/off cycling. For a home office used during work hours with predictable temperature requirements, this is a sensible fit.

It doesn’t have Wi-Fi, but the thermostat and eco mode provide enough control for most small-room applications where scheduling isn’t a priority.

Features

• 1,000W output, suited for smaller rooms up to 10–12m²
• Eco mode for efficient temperature maintenance
• Adjustable thermostat
• Slim wall-mounted profile
• Overheat protection

Electric Radiator Buying Guide

Key Takeaways

• Smart Wi-Fi electric radiators with scheduling and precision thermostats are significantly more energy-efficient than basic on/off models, the Good Housekeeping-approved Devola is the benchmark in this category
• Wattage determines room suitability: 1,000W for up to 12m², 2,000W for 15–20m², 2,400W for 20–28m² in well-insulated UK homes
• At 24p per kWh, a 2,000W electric radiator costs 48p per hour at full power, but precision thermostats typically reduce actual consumption to 30–50% of nameplate wattage during sustained use
• LOT 20 compliance (the UK ecodesign regulation for local space heaters) is a requirement for all new electric heaters sold in the UK, check for this on the product specification
• Electric radiators work well as primary heating in well-insulated modern homes, in rooms without central heating access, and as supplementary heat in specific rooms
• For whole-house electric heating, a heat pump is significantly more cost-efficient than direct electric radiators, individual room heating is where electric radiators make economic sense

What Is an Electric Radiator?

An electric radiator is a wall-mounted or freestanding electric heater that converts mains electricity directly to heat. Unlike a central heating radiator, which uses hot water from a boiler, an electric radiator is self-contained, it generates its own heat using an internal element, ceramic core, or thermal compound.

The category covers several distinct types. Glass panel heaters (like the Devola Wifi) use a glass surface and convection to distribute heat. Oil-free column heaters (like the Dimplex ECR) use a thermal compound to store and release heat. Traditional oil-filled radiators use heated oil as the thermal medium. Each has different thermal performance characteristics, but all convert electricity to heat at near 100% efficiency.

How Do Electric Radiators Work?

The basic operating principle is the same across types: electricity passes through a heating element, which generates heat. That heat is distributed into the room via convection (warm air rising from the heater surface) and radiation (infrared heat emitted directly from the heated surface to objects in the room).

What distinguishes the better electric radiators from cheaper alternatives is thermostat accuracy. A basic mechanical thermostat might maintain a room at 18 to 22°C when you set it to 20°C, a 4-degree swing. A precision digital thermostat in the Devola models maintains temperature within 0.5°C. This accuracy matters because every degree of overshoot wastes electricity. Over a full heating season, that thermostat precision can represent a meaningful cost saving.

Are Electric Radiators Expensive to Run?

Electric radiators cost more per unit of heat than gas central heating, because electricity costs approximately 24p per kWh while gas is approximately 6p per kWh. A 2,000W electric radiator running at full power for 4 hours costs approximately £1.92. The same heat from a gas boiler costs approximately 48p.

However, this comparison is relevant at whole-house scale. For heating a single room on demand, a home office during work hours, a bedroom for sleeping, an electric radiator is often more economical than running the whole central heating system to heat every room.

Where electric radiators make economic sense:

• Individual rooms without central heating access (extensions, converted outbuildings)
• Rooms used at predictable times where you want precise scheduling
• Supplementary heating for rooms that don’t reach temperature from the central heating system
• Properties without gas connections where whole-house electric heating is the only option

What Wattage Do I Need?

As a guide for well-insulated modern UK rooms:

• Up to 10m² (small bedroom, home office): 750W to 1,000W
• 10 to 15m² (standard bedroom): 1,000W to 1,500W
• 15 to 20m² (living room, larger bedroom): 1,500W to 2,000W
• 20 to 28m² (open-plan, large living space): 2,000W to 2,500W

For older properties with poor insulation or rooms with large single-glazed windows, increase the estimate by one category.

What Is LOT 20 Compliance?

LOT 20 is the UK and EU ecodesign regulation that sets minimum energy efficiency standards for local space heaters sold after 2018. Compliant heaters must include an accurate thermostat, a 24-hour timer, an open window detection feature, and adaptive start capability.

All five products on this list are LOT 20 compliant, this is effectively a baseline requirement for any modern electric heater in the UK market. If you see a heater without LOT 20 compliance stated in the specifications, it’s likely outdated stock or a product that doesn’t meet current UK standards.

Case Study: Heating a Victorian Home Office Extension

Background

A freelance consultant working from a rear extension to a Victorian terraced house in Leeds had a home office of approximately 14m² that wasn’t served by the central heating system. The extension had solid walls on two sides, French doors on one side, and a flat roof. Heat loss was significant and the room was unusable for comfortable work from October to April.

Project Overview

The office needed primary room heating, not supplementary warmth but a system capable of bringing the room from 10°C to 20°C in a reasonable time and maintaining it through a work day. The brief was also for scheduling: the heater needed to come on automatically before the working day started.

Implementation

A Devola Wifi 2000W was wall-mounted on the internal wall, connected to a fused spur installed by an electrician. The unit was added to the Devola app with a weekly schedule set to activate at 07:30 on weekdays. The app’s geofencing feature was also enabled so the heater switched off automatically when the consultant left the property.

Results

The office reliably reached 20°C by 08:00 from a typical winter overnight temperature of around 10°C. The precise thermostat maintained temperature within 0.5°C throughout the working day. Electricity costs for heating the room were estimated at approximately £1.20 to £1.80 per working day during winter, significantly less than the cost of running the whole-house gas boiler to reach the extension. The open window detection automatically paused heating when the French doors were opened on warmer days.

Expert Insights From Our Heating Engineers About Electric Radiators

One of our senior heating engineers with over 15 years of experience in domestic heating systems, including electric heating installations, shared the following.

“The biggest change in electric heating over the past five years is thermostat accuracy and scheduling. The old electric heaters had thermostats that were basically a rough guide. The modern units, especially the smart ones, are genuinely precise. That precision matters for running costs in a way that’s underappreciated.

Devola has been the standout brand in the mainstream market. The Good Housekeeping approval reflects genuine product quality, not just marketing. I’ve recommended them to clients consistently for the past two years.

The one thing I’d always tell someone considering electric heating: calculate the room’s actual heat requirement first. I see underspecification all the time, someone buys a 1,000W heater for a 20m² room because it’s cheaper, then wonders why the room never gets warm. Match the wattage to the room, add smart controls if it’s going to be used on a schedule, and you’ll have a heating solution that works properly and costs what you’d expect.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Summing Up

For most buyers wanting a smart, reliable electric radiator, the Devola Wifi 2000W Glass Panel Heater is the pick. The Good Housekeeping approval, precise thermostat, scheduling capability, and 1,295 verified reviews make it the benchmark in this category at £119.99.

If you want Dimplex’s established reliability without smart features, the Dimplex ECR20Tie at £98.89 delivers the highest average rating on this list with its oil-free column design. For permanently wall-mounted installation, the Devola wall-mounted version at £134.90 offers the same smart features in a cleaner fixed format.

For smaller rooms or tighter budgets, the Devola 1,000W at £69.99 and the Devola 2,400W Eco at £84.45 complete a range that covers most domestic electric heating requirements.

Updated April 2026