Best electric heating for a flat with no gas, ranked by running cost

Quick answer: Ranked by running cost, an air-to-air heat pump wins by a distance: at a SCOP of 3.5 it delivers heat at roughly 7.5p/kWh against 26.32p for any direct electric heater at the current price cap. Storage heaters on Economy 7 come second, infrared and panel heaters last. If you own the flat, the heat pump case is strong; if you rent, modern storage heaters are the realistic best.

The one number that decides everything

Every direct electric heater (panel, infrared, oil-filled, fan, electric boiler) turns one kilowatt-hour of electricity into one kilowatt-hour of heat. At the October to December 2026 price cap of 26.32p/kWh (Ofgem), that’s 26.32p per unit of heat, whatever the brochure says. Only two things change the arithmetic: a heat pump, which moves three or more units of heat per unit of electricity, or a cheaper tariff, which is what storage heaters exploit. Hold onto that and the ranking below writes itself. Our electric heating options guide covers the technology basics. We haven’t tested the products named here — this ranking is based on published specifications, prices and running-cost data, checked July 2026.

1. Air-to-air heat pump: ~7.5p per kWh of heat

A single wall-mounted split unit heats one room (or an open-plan flat) at a seasonal COP around 3.5, which works out near 7.5p per kWh of heat at cap rates. Installation for a single split typically runs £1,500 to £3,000 through an F-Gas engineer (BestBuilders, checked July 2026), and the same unit cools in summer. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme now includes a £2,500 grant for air-to-air systems (gov.uk, checked July 2026), which shifts the payback dramatically. The obstacles are practical: flats generally need planning permission for the outdoor unit plus freeholder consent, and renters are out unless the landlord plays. If you can clear those hurdles, this is the answer and nothing else is close.

2. High heat retention storage heaters: the Economy 7 play

Storage heaters charge overnight on an Economy 7 tariff’s cheap rate and release heat through the day. Modern high heat retention models like the Dimplex Quantum hold their charge far better than the 1980s bricks: EDF’s published comparison for a 1960s-built 2-bed house puts Quantum heating at around £745 a year against £985 for standard storage heaters and £1,399 for ordinary electric radiators (checked July 2026). Quantums carry a warranty of up to 10 years, with full cover for the first five, if registered within 28 days of purchase. No planning, no consent, no wet system. For renters and leaseholders who can’t fit a heat pump, this is the realistic winner, and it’s what we’d put in ahead of any panel-heater refit.

3. Infrared panels: comfort trick, full-price electricity

Infrared panels heat surfaces and people rather than air, so a well-placed panel can make a room feel warm at a lower thermostat setting. Herschel’s Comfort range spans 215W to 1,250W panels, priced from £309 (herschel-infrared.co.uk, checked July 2026). But the electricity is still full price: a 600W panel running six hours a day costs about 94p a day at cap rates, roughly £28 a month for one room. Where infrared earns its keep is a single much-used room, a bathroom mirror panel, or a home office where you heat one person, not the whole flat. As whole-home heating it’s expensive. See our infrared heating product guide for sizing.

4. Panel heaters and electric radiators: cheap kit, dear heat

A £40 panel heater and a £400 “smart German-engineered electric radiator” produce identical heat per kilowatt-hour: 26.32p-worth. Fancy thermostats and apps trim waste, and they can’t change physics. Use them for a spare room, a short-let, or anywhere the heater will run a few hours a week. EDF’s figures above show a whole flat on electric radiators costing nearly double the Quantum route.

A quick word on electric boilers, which estate agents love to describe as modern: they’re direct electric heating with extra plumbing. Every unit of heat still costs the full import rate, plus you’re maintaining a wet system. They make sense mainly where a flat already has radiators and pipework worth keeping, or where a wet system is a lease requirement. Starting from scratch, the options above beat them.

Rates are the GB average Direct Debit cap for October to December 2026; Economy 7 unit rates vary by supplier and region. Savings estimates are typical figures, not promises. Our modelled estimate for an infrared panel setup is around £600 per room (see how we calculate costs), and the calculator compares systems for your region.

FAQs

Is infrared cheaper to run than a panel heater?

Per kilowatt-hour, no, both pay full price. Infrared can cost less in practice because radiant heat lets you feel comfortable with fewer kilowatt-hours in the right room. In a draughty, high-ceilinged space that advantage grows; in a small well-insulated room it shrinks to nothing.

Do I need an Economy 7 meter for storage heaters?

You need a tariff with a cheap overnight window, which today usually means a smart meter on an Economy 7 or equivalent time-of-use tariff. Storage heaters on a single-rate tariff lose their entire advantage, so sort the tariff before the hardware.

Can flats get heat pump grants?

Yes. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme’s £7,500 covers air-to-water systems and £2,500 covers air-to-air, flats included, provided you use an MCS installer and have the freeholder’s consent where the lease requires it. The practical barrier is siting the outdoor unit, not the funding.