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Rachael Penn warms up with the top electric heaters

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With energy costs set to rise again this autumn, finding cost-effective ways to heat your home without the eye-watering expense of central heating is essential. This is why electric heaters, sometimes known as portable or space heaters, are such a good solution.

Electric heaters will heat a singular room or space, so you don't have to heat the whole house. Plus, unlike a fixed radiator, you can move it from room to room, giving you full flexibility over when and where you heat your space. There are several types of electric heaters available, from oil-filled radiators to ceramic and fan heaters.

Modern electric heaters don't just promise flexibility and a way to reduce your energy consumption, lowering your bills, but they are also jam-packed with safety features like tip-over switches and automatic shutoff functions, so they are incredibly safe to use.

Plus, some models also come with builtin fans so you can use them for cooler air in the summer months and air purifiers, making them a good choice for anyone who suffers from allergies. From home offices to spare bedrooms, any room can be turned into a warm, cosy space in minutes. My favourite is the Dreamland pure air fan heater, but I've tested plenty of electric heaters to suit all spaces and budgets.

How I tested

I put a range of electric heaters through their paces to assess both performance and practicality. Each unit was tested in a variety of rooms, from a large carpeted bedroom to an unheated, tiled floor kitchen. When testing, I took the following into consideration:

Performance: I tested each unit to see how quickly it could raise the temperature, whether the heat was distributed evenly and whether it maintained the temperature once the unit was turned off.