Tried & Tested
Meet the hot mini heater that costs less than £50
With its bijou dimensions and retro design, this portable heater will help you dial down the thermostat in style – but are the running costs worth it?
Now that I think about it, I can measure much of my life in mini appliances. Hair straighteners and a promotion-securing steamer for crease-free workwear pieces pretty much sum up my twenties. Then came the baby-related ephemera – breast pumps, bottle sterilisers, hand blenders and naturally, the obligatory Nespresso machine. These days, electricals have a new role in my life though: they have to save me money.
And so, as the temperature drops, and with it the mercury in my home office (a frosty 15℃ this morning), so too has my resolve to hold off switching on the heating. Thankfully, my smart meter – and its ballooning budget display – is keeping me on track, and while researching everything from thermals to draft excluders, I came across the chic De’Longhi HFX30C18 Electric Heater as a potential heating solution for my home office.
What is it?
This is one of the smallest heaters I’ve seen. At just 27.9cm high, 10.1cm wide, 19.1cm deep and 1.3kg in weight, it really is designed to be portable, meaning it’s more of a personal heater than a room blaster. It also features a smart ceramic element, making it more efficient than traditional heaters, plus two heat settings and one fan-only option for hot weather.
How much does it cost to run?
To establish how much the appliance would cost to run per hour in your own home, simply times the wattage by the minutes used, then times that figure by the cost per kW/h on your electricity bill – which should be around 34p per kW/h currently. Alternatively, use this easy online calculator. (For me, it turns out the 1800w De’Longhi heater is costing an eye-watering 61.2p per hour to run.)
Is it worth it?
Just because it’s pretty spennie to run, doesn’t mean I’ve written off the De’Longhi heater. As a quick solution to warm me up in my home office, it really performs and now that I know the cost, I may just give myself a 30-minute blast to warm things up in the morning, which seems 31p well spent. Plus, I love how truly portable (and stylish) it is, meaning I could leave it out for older guests who stay over during these tricky trans-seasonal months.
