Electric Radiator Installation in Hornchurch & Upminster: Where They Work Best

We get a lot of calls from people in Hornchurch, Upminster and nearby parts of Havering who are cold in one particular room.

It is usually one of three things:

• Loft conversion that never quite warmed up
• Garden office that feels like the Arctic in January
• Bathroom or box room that the main heating system does not reach properly

In those situations, electric radiators can be a really tidy solution. They are quick to fit, there is no pipework to run and modern models have good controls.

They are not a magic fix for every house though, especially with electricity prices the way they are. So let us walk through when electric radiators are a solid choice, what they cost to run and how to install them safely.

Are electric radiators a good idea with today’s energy prices?

The first thing to be honest about is running cost.

Recent cost guides are clear that electricity is still more expensive per unit than gas, often roughly three to four times the price per kilowatt hour on typical tariffs.

On the flip side:

• Electric radiators are almost 100 percent efficient at point of use – all the electricity they draw becomes heat in the room
• They are cheap and quick to install compared with running new pipework for gas central heating or fitting a full heat pump system in an existing home
• In smaller, well insulated spaces they can actually be a very sensible option, especially if you use smart controls and in some cases, off peak tariffs

So our rule of thumb when we turn up to jobs in Hornchurch, Upminster and Emerson Park is:

• Whole house with a good gas boiler already in place – stick with gas for the main heat most of the time
• One or two cold rooms, loft, garage conversion, garden office – electric radiators make a lot of sense
• Flats with no gas supply or properties where a new wet system would be expensive or messy – electric radiators or storage heaters are worth a serious look

Types of electric radiators and where they fit

You will see a few different types of electric heaters marketed for homes. Here is how we normally explain them on site.

Panel radiators

• Wall mounted, slim units
• Heat up quickly using convection, sometimes with a bit of radiant output
• Often come with digital thermostats and 7 day timers

Best for:
Home offices, spare rooms, loft rooms and anywhere you only need heat at certain times of day.

Oil filled or “thermal fluid” radiators

• Look and feel more like a traditional radiator
• Heat a fluid inside the unit so they stay warm a bit longer
• Many are now wall mounted with built in controls

Best for:
Living rooms or bedrooms where you want a gentler, more even warmth.

Modern storage heaters

Energy Saving Trust point out that newer storage heaters charge up on cheaper off peak electricity then release heat later, which can work well if you have the right tariff and know how to use the controls.

Best for:
All electric flats and small homes where gas is not an option and you are happy to work with Economy 7 or similar off peak tariffs.

Where electric radiators work really well locally

Around Hornchurch and Upminster we see electric radiators used successfully in a few common situations.

Loft conversions and top floor rooms

A lot of older semis and terraces in this area have had lofts converted. The pipework upstairs is sometimes an afterthought and those top rooms get cold in a north wind.

A properly sized electric radiator with good controls can:

• Top up heat without cranking up the whole system
• Run on its own schedule if the room is a study in the day and a bedroom at night

Garden offices and studios

The pandemic left a trail of garden offices in Upminster, Cranham and Gidea Park. Many of them use plug in heaters that trip sockets or give very uneven heat.

Hard wired electric radiators on their own circuit are:

• Safer than random plug in fan heaters
• Better looking and easier to control
• Less likely to overload existing sockets

Bathrooms and ensuites

You have to be careful with electrics in bathrooms but a wall mounted bathroom rated electric radiator or towel rail can be a nice addition.

Electrical Safety First and NICEIC both stress that:

• Bathroom electric heaters must be fixed, permanently wired and a safe distance from baths and showers
• Controls should usually be a pull cord or switch outside the bathroom, not a standard wall switch inside

That is exactly the sort of detail we sort out for customers so they do not have to think about bathroom zones and IP ratings.

Wiring, circuits and safety for electric radiators

This is the bit most people do not see but it is the most important part of our job.

Do electric radiators need their own circuit?

Guidance from electric heating manufacturers says that multiple electric radiators should ideally be on their own dedicated circuit, to avoid overloading existing ring circuits that were never designed for continuous high heating loads.

In practice that can mean:

• Running a new radial circuit from the consumer unit
• Fitting local isolation switches
• Making sure the circuit is RCD protected to current BS 7671 standards

If your board is old or already crowded, we will talk honestly about whether a consumer unit upgrade or remedial work is needed first, and we often pair this with an EICR test so you get a full picture of the installation.

You can read more about that on our EICR testing page.

Bathroom zones and IP ratings

Bathrooms get a special mention because water and electricity mix very badly if you get it wrong.

NICEIC and other technical guides define zones around the bath and shower where only certain types of equipment can be installed, and where IP (ingress protection) ratings matter a lot.

You do not need to remember all the zone numbers, that is our job, but it is one reason we always recommend getting bathroom electric radiators and towel rails installed by a qualified electrician rather than DIY.

Thinking about electric radiators in Hornchurch and Upminster

If you are reading this because there is a cold room in your house you are fed up with, here is how we normally approach it.

1. Chat about how you use the space
   Is it a home office, guest room, teenager’s bedroom or a bathroom that never feels warm enough
2. Check the wiring and board
   We look at your consumer unit and existing circuits to see whether we can sensibly add a radiator or whether a new circuit is the better option.
3. Size and place the radiator
   We work out the wattage and the best wall position. No point in a nice new heater blowing straight at thin glass or behind a sofa.
4. Fit, test and show you the controls
   We hard wire the radiator, test the circuit to BS 7671 and then show you how to set timers, boost modes and any app features.

For many customers we combine this with other small upgrades like LED lighting changes or extra sockets, which is often cheaper than calling someone out three times.

If you want to see the sort of work we do, have a look at our lighting and electrical installation service and our home automation page for smart heating controls that can work alongside electric radiators.

FAQs: Electric radiators in and around Hornchurch

Are electric radiators more expensive to run than gas central heating?

Per unit of energy, yes, electricity is usually more expensive than gas on current UK tariffs, sometimes around three to four times the price per kWh.

But if you are only heating one room with an electric radiator instead of running a whole gas system for the entire house, your total bill for that bit of heat can still work out very reasonable.

Can I just plug an electric radiator into a normal socket?

Small portable heaters are designed for that, but for fixed electric radiators we strongly recommend a hard wired connection. Manufacturer and installer guidance says that multiple radiators should ideally be on dedicated circuits, not random rings that already supply sockets.

That is safer and reduces the risk of overloading.

Do I need an electrician to fit a bathroom electric radiator?

Yes, you really should. Bathroom zones, IP ratings and the need for permanent wiring and appropriate isolation switches make this a clear job for a qualified electrician.

Will fitting electric radiators mean I need an EICR or consumer unit upgrade?

Not always. If your existing installation is modern and has spare capacity, we can simply add a new circuit or connect to an appropriate existing one. In older houses, especially around Hornchurch and Upminster where some wiring goes back decades, we might suggest an EICR first to check the overall condition.

If you are looking at that cold loft, office or bathroom and wondering what the best approach is, we are happy to talk it through.

We fit electric radiators and carry out wider electrical work across Hornchurch, Upminster and neighbouring areas like Rainham and Brentwood, and we will always tell you if a different heating approach would make more sense.

Whenever you are ready, you can reach us through the contact page on the Volt East site and we will help you warm that awkward room up properly.