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On a budget but still don't want to lose your toes to frostbite? A cheap heater is probably a good place to start. There is no shortage of cheap heaters available across Australia, but it can be hard to pick one that won't send your winter bills soaring.
In this guide we look at key retailers slogging affordable heaters this season, the best deals on the pricier brands, and what to look out for to keep your heating bill under control.
Brand | Heater type | Price range | Rating | Retailers |
 | From $17 | 
| Find it at Kmart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | From $27 | 
| Find it at Kmart | |
 | From $39 |
| Find it at Kmart | |
 | From $42 | 
| Find it at Bunnings | |
 | From $49 | 
| Find it at Bunnings | |
 | From $89 |
| Find it at Bunnings | |
 | From $24 |
| Find it at Big W | |
 | From $49 |
| Find it at Big W | |
 | From $39.95 |
| Find it at Big W | |
 | From $49 |
| Find it at Big W | |
 | From $27.95 |
| Find it at Big W | |
 | From $38.95 |
| Find it at Big W |
Split cycle air conditioners are the most energy efficient solution, and will cost you the least to run over winter under most circumstances. These are a bit out of grasp for some so generally electric fan heaters are the most accessible, and the cheapest heaters you can buy, although their running costs can get high.
To balance the outright cost and the running costs look for heaters with a lower power source wattage. This number indicates how much power the heater needs, and you can do some smart calculations to figure out how much it will cost you to run over the season.
To give you some indication, we've done some math for you already. During the previous financial year, the average kWh cost was $0.14 across Australia. Running a 2000W heater would therefore cost around $0.28 per hour. As a point of comparison, a 60W air purifier costs less than $0.01 per hour at this same price. If you run your heater for eight hours per day, over the course of our 92 Winter days that comes to an extra $206 tacked onto your bill.
Using this same data we calculated how much you can expect to pay over Winter depending on the heater's wattage. These are estimates based on averages, but it should give you an idea as to the cheapest heater to run in Australia.
When you think cheap homewares you probably think about Kmart first. The budget big-box store has made a name for itself by selling affordable and practical home essentials (among other things), and heaters are a big part of its Winter range.
Right now the Kmart heater range has three electric heaters under $50; two fan, and one oil. The fan heaters are cheaper to buy, but more expensive to run and none of these budget options have any exciting features to write home about. They all do have tip safety features, multiple heat settings, and will undoubtedly warm up a room, and sometimes that is all you need.
When choosing a heater, keep in mind that fan heaters generally heat a room more quicker than oil options, but they don't retain warmth for as long. Here's how the three heaters compare.
While Bunnings has a huge range of heating products like firepits, when it comes to cheap heaters it is a bit lacklustre. At the time of writing Bunnings only had two heaters under $50, and one more under $100. Since two are ultimately the same thing but one has a stand, we've included both.
First up is the Arlec 400W Table Heater, a radiant heater designed to emit warmth around a table. While it does tick the 'cheap' box, buyer reviews warn that it probably isn't worth even the small amount of money. Here is a snippet of Eddie from Perth's review;
Eddie
Perth
Review snippet from Bunnings
The other two cheap heaters from Bunnings are variations of the same Jumbuck 2000W Radiant Heater. One is wall mounted while the other comes with a stand making it more portable, but you'll pay an extra $40 to get that stand. Each have 3 heat settings ranging from 650W-2000W, splash water protect, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. The lowest heat setting is relatively energy efficient, so it could be a good option for long term use.
Through it's online store, Big W has six electric heaters under $50 but only three are available in store. The rest are online-only specials purchased through the Big W Marketplace. Out of the six, five are fan heaters, and one ia a radiant heater, but all are portable and for indoor use only.
There isn't much difference between the five fan heaters. Apart from the Goldair Oscillating version they all cap out at 2000W, and have two heat settings. Price is the only real point of difference so unless you're taken by the design of any of them you're probably better off going for the cheapest option.
The Radiant Bar Heater is likely the best deal long term- it has the lowest starting watts meaning it will be cheapest to run over the season. Plus in the sea of white fans with a grid on the front, it does stand out.
Here are how all the Big W heaters compare.
Seemingly every supermarket has taken a line out of Aldi's book and has started selling their version of Special Buys. As Winter rolls around we are bound to see plenty of cheap heaters litter the aisle of Woolworths, Coles, and of course Aldi.
Since these are seasonal products we won't really know how the heaters stack up until details of their stock are released. We'll keep an ear to the ground, and add the stock to this page as they trickle in.
Woolworths has a slew of online-only products available to buy through it's Everyday Market, but for now most of the retailer's budget heaters are out of stock. These include a $20 Adesso Ceramic Heater, and a $30 Adesso Oscillating Ceramic Heater.
The remaining listings- likely held over from last year- detail a range of fan, oil, convection, and radiant heaters but most of these are well above $100.
Coles has a range of Seiki heaters that have hit shelves, but pricing is not currently available. You read that right. Even though the products are literally on the shelves in some locations, they are noted as 'currently unavailable' online, and do not have prices attached to them instore. Without the pricing information it is difficult to determine the consumer value of these items, but we can give you a quick run down of the specs.
Here are how Coles' heaters compare this year;
Aldi has officially announced its Winter Special Buys, complete with a couple of De'Longhi heaters. Neither of the De'Longhi heaters at Aldi are under $50, but they are still cheaper than buying directly from the manufacturer. The one Aldi heater that is under that $50 mark is it's generic Compact Fan Heater which is also the most powerful of the three.
Here are how Aldi heaters compare this year;
No matter the cost, a heater is a good investment to keep your home livable as the cool weather arrives. Australian homes are glorified tents; we swelter in the Summer and freeze in the Winter.
If you're on a budget then a cheap heater is undoubtedly worth buying, but make sure you pick the right heater for your home. Fan and radiant heaters will likely suit any household while convection and oil heaters aren't as one-size-fits all. Keep an eye on the maximum wattage as it is a good indication of how much the heater will cost to run. Lower wattage means less heat but it also means lower prices when your electricity bill comes.
To get the most out of your cheap heater, block gaps in doors and windows to keep the cold air out, and the warm air in.
