Delhi-NCR winters get cold quickly, and a room heater is the fastest fix. But an oil heater, a fan heater and a rod heater work very differently, and the wrong choice means a stuffy room, a high electricity bill or a safety risk. Here is how to choose.
The four types of room heater
| Type |
How it heats |
Best for |
Watch out for |
| Oil-filled (radiator) |
Heats oil sealed inside fins, which warm the whole room slowly and evenly |
Bedrooms, overnight use, elderly people, homes with children or pets |
Takes 15–20 minutes to warm up; costs more upfront |
|
Fan / blower
|
Blows air over a hot element |
Quick heat in a small closed room or office cabin |
Fan noise; warm air stops as soon as you switch it off |
| Quartz |
Quartz tubes give off radiant heat in front of the heater |
Warming one or two people sitting close by |
Heats people more than the room; dries the air |
|
Rod / basic heater
|
Glowing rods with a reflector |
Low budget, short spells of use |
Exposed hot elements – keep children, curtains and clothes away |
Step 1: Size the heater to the room
A rough rule for a closed room is about 10 watts per square foot. A 10 × 10 ft bedroom (100 sq ft) needs about 1,000 W; a 12 × 15 ft living room (180 sq ft) about 2,000 W. Rooms with large windows, a top floor or poor insulation need more. Check the wattage printed on the box or rating label.
Step 2: Think about who uses the room
-
Babies, children, elderly or pets: an oil-filled heater – no glowing element and the surface stays warm rather than red-hot
-
Overnight in a bedroom: oil-filled, with the thermostat on a low setting
-
A few hours in a study or office: fan or blower heater
-
Sitting at a desk or sofa: quartz or rod heater pointed at you
Step 3: Check the running cost
Electricity used = heater watts × hours ÷ 1,000 (in units, kWh). For example, a 2,000 W heater for 4 hours uses 8 units; at ₹8 a unit that is about ₹64 a day. To cut the bill, use a heater with a thermostat or low/high settings, close doors and windows, and switch it off once the room is warm.
Step 4: Plug it in safely
- Plug the heater straight into a 16A socket – not a 6A socket, extension board or multi-plug. Heaters draw a lot of current and can melt light-duty boards
- If the plug or socket gets hot, stop using it and have the point checked by an electrician
- Keep at least 1 metre from curtains, bedding, sofas and paper
- Never cover a heater or dry clothes on it
- Place it on a flat, firm floor where it cannot be knocked over
- In small closed rooms, keep a window or door slightly open so the air does not get too dry and stuffy
Quick answers
Do electric heaters use up oxygen? No – unlike gas or coal heaters, electric heaters do not burn anything. Rod, quartz and fan heaters can make the air feel dry, so keep some ventilation or a bowl of water in the room.
Which heater is cheapest to run? Running cost depends on wattage and hours, not type. An oil heater with a thermostat often costs less over a night because it cycles off once the room is warm.
Can I use a heater with an inverter? Usually not – most home inverters cannot handle a 1,000–2,500 W heater for long. Check your inverter's rating first.
Shop room heaters
Delivered in 2–3 hours across Noida, Greater Noida & East Delhi, 9 am – 9 pm every day, with cash on delivery. Not sure which heater suits your room? WhatsApp us the room size on +91-9818558934.
