We've noticed that prices tend to edge up the closer to colder weather we get - we've seen some price increases over the last few weeks. So if you want to get a cheap electric heater, our advice would be not to hang around. Read: one simple way to adjust your boiler to lower your heating bill to see how you can save money by lowering the temperature of the water supplying your radiators.

But what makes this heater stand out is its built-in colour LED light and Bluetooth speaker. The low-energy LED light on the top gradually changes colour and emits a pleasant glow when it gets dark. Central heating is much more effective at maintaining a stable temperature over a longer period, whereas the heat from an electric heater will soon dissipate if the rest of your home is cold.Nearly all have some kind of carry handle for moving about and many have a safety cut-out feature, which will switch off the heater if it gets dangerously hot. Use your smartphone, tablet or laptop to connect wirelessly to the integrated speaker and play from the internet or your device's memory. You can also change playlists or adjust the volume without leaving the comfort of your seat. Live more sustainably - get our free Sustainability newsletter to make changes for you and the planet. Do you want short bursts of heat, or something to keep you warm over several hours? Some of the cheapest fan heaters run at 3kW, so are good for short, intense bursts. More expensive and much slower convectors won't get the heat going as fast, but they'll be better over longer periods. Under current energy prices, the electric heaters we've tested can cost anything from 9p to 87p per hour to run on full blast.

We assess how easily each electric heater can be set up and how easily understandable the controls and settings are. We used any handles to lift the heater and move it around. While some heaters can be used straight out of the box, others have complicated program and timer settings. If you're planning on heating your home while cutting costs - keep reading because we've found some great options that are worth considering. READ MORE: I tried the Duux smart heater that costs 20p an hour to run and it's saved me turning on my heatingThis oil-filled radiator really is mini - it's not much bigger than some of the smallest heaters we've tested. Portable electric heaters use electricity, which costs 28.62p/kWh under the current energy price cap. Depending on how effective the heater is, they can take anything from 30 minutes to an hour to notably raise the temperature of a medium-sized room, so if you're only planning on using it until the room gets up to temperature, it will likely cost you between 28 and 57p.

We buy all the electric heaters we test. We put the bestselling heaters from popular UK retailers through these tests: Heating speed, evenness, and accuracy Due to the long list of factors that come into play to calculate your central heating costs, the only way you can confidently compare a heater to your central heating is to install a smart meter. You then divide your weekly heating cost by the number of hours you have it switched on and compare that figure to the cost of running your heater. If you have a combi boiler, you can make money savings right now by running it more efficiently. Boilers are able to run as low temperature systems, but many are set up to run at full tilt, costing you extra money. Cheaper electric heaters tend to have fewer features than more expensive ones. Compared with more expensive ones, a cheap heater is less likely to have: However, many of the 2kW electric heaters we've tested tipped above and below that power output over the course of an hour's use in our tests, resulting in costs from 9p - 83p.Once that desired temperature is reached, the heater won't run constantly anymore. It will toggle on and off sporadically to maintain that temperature. Cheap heaters usually have fewer features These have exposed heating elements, which heat up cold air as it passes. This often leads to slower, but more even, heating. They tend to be a little slower than fan heaters, but are quieter, and our tests found some are still pretty speedy. They tend to be cheap to run, but some can be really slow to heat up. Most oil-filled heaters are also fairly heavy and cumbersome, so look out for models that come with wheels.

Cold air setting Some fan heaters can help cool you down too. They're not nearly as effective as a dedicated air conditioner, but a light breeze of cold air is better than nothing. We set up each heater in the centre of our test room and run it on the maximum settings, with the room starting at a cool temperature. We monitor how much the room temperature changed over the course of an hour using temperature probes. We found the most drastic changes happen in the first half an hour and increases in temperature become more incremental after that. On the downside, this type can be quite noisy and they don't have some of the more advanced features you can get with convector heaters. Pinning down an exact comparison of how much central heating and electric heaters cost to run is nigh-on impossible, as the factors below are just some of the variables that play a part: If you were to try replacing the use of your central heating by putting an electric heater in each room, it will definitely end up costing much more.Although the comparison might make your electric heater look cheaper to run, bear in mind that it will only be heating a much smaller area, whereas your central heating will be aiming to heat your whole home. We use a force meter to record how much is needed to topple each heater over and a decibel meter to measure how much noise each one makes while running.