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The Best Heaters in Australia (2026)

The Best Heaters in Australia (2026)

By the NestPath TeamΒ·12 May 2026Β·12 min read

It's not the heat output. It's the running cost. Seven heater picks across oil column, panel, fan, and infrared, ranked against Choice tests, Canstar awards and 1,000+ verified Amazon AU reviews β€” from $38 to $898.

COMPARE AT A GLANCE
Our pick
De'Longhi Radia S Digital Oil Column Heater TRRS1224EG
Best overall β€” 12-fin oil column, 24-hr timer, Eco mode
~$229
4.3
Type
Oil column 12-fin
Wattage
2400W
Best for
10-15mΒ² rooms
Oil column24-hr timerEco modeDeLonghi AU support
Best value
Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde
Premium pick β€” heater + fan + HEPA air purifier in one
~$898
4.5
Type
Bladeless fan + purifier
Wattage
2000W
Air filter
HEPA H13 + Cryptomic
Heat + cool + purifyHEPA H13Canstar winner 3yrs
Budget pick
Goldair 11-Fin Oil Column Heater
Best budget β€” Choice's $99-tier favourite, 2400W output
~$129
4.1
Type
Oil column 11-fin
Wattage
2400W
Best for
12-18mΒ² rooms
Australian brand2400WManual thermostat

It's not the heat output that catches most first-home buyers out. It's the running cost.

Easy to assume that a 2400W column heater warms a room faster than a 1500W one. It doesn't β€” it just costs more to run. The difference between a $79 budget heater and an $898 Dyson, at the same wattage, is essentially zero on your power bill. What changes is whether it heats people (radiant, infrared), air (fan, convection), or the room itself slowly and quietly (oil column, panel). Pick the wrong type for your room and you'll either freeze or watch your winter power bill double.

This is the guide to the best heaters in Australia we wish we'd had moving into our first place last autumn.


TL;DR Quick Overview

Last updated May 2026.

Three picks from our survey of the best heaters in Australia for 2026, all verified in stock on Amazon AU this week:

  • Best overall: De'Longhi Radia S Oil Column ($229) β€” the heater OzBargain regulars and The Good Guys editorial both keep returning to. Slow, quiet, lasts a decade.
  • Best budget that's not a compromise: Goldair 11-Fin Oil Column ($129 on Amazon AU; the same model Choice has named its $99-tier favourite) β€” Canstar 5-star ease of use, same 2400W output as units three times the price.
  • Premium pick: Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde ($898) β€” three-year Canstar Most Satisfied Customers winner; pays for itself by replacing a fan, a heater, and an air purifier.

The full lineup β€” oil column, panel, fan, and infrared options across every budget β€” and the long answer to "what's the cheapest heater to run in Australia" sit further down.


How we evaluated heaters

NestPath doesn't physically test every product. Here's what we actually do:

  • Surveyed 30+ electric heater products available on Amazon Australia with verified buy-box listings, AU shipping, and current pricing
  • Cross-checked manufacturer specifications against retailer listings, removing products where claims didn't match
  • Aggregated verified Amazon AU customer review data β€” filtered for star rating, review count, recency, verified-purchase ratio
  • Filtered for first-home-buyer fit β€” under $1,000, household-suitable for 1-2 person setups, beginner-friendly operation, available in stock at AU buy-box
  • Verified availability daily via the Amazon Creators API. The "verified in stock" badge on each product card shows when we last confirmed buy-box availability
  • Editorial selection by Anish Puri, NestPath founder

We earn affiliate commission when you buy through our links. That doesn't change which products we recommend β€” products are selected before commission rates are checked. Our methodology page explains scoring and how to flag inaccuracies.


Best overall β€” De'Longhi Radia S Digital Oil Column ($229)

If you're heating a 10-15mΒ² bedroom or study and you want something you'll plug in this May and still be using in 2034, the De'Longhi Radia S is the safe call. It's the oil column the OzBargain regulars and The Good Guys editorial team keep coming back to, and the version of DeLonghi's family of oil columns that you can actually buy on Amazon AU's buy-box this week (the higher-spec Dragon4 is currently out of stock; the Radia S is its less-fancy sibling with the same engineering DNA).

Top pick
De'Longhi Radia S Digital Oil Column Heater TRRS1224EG, 12 Fin Home Heater for Medium to Large Rooms, 24-Hour Timer, LED Display, 2400W, Grey
De'Longhi

De'Longhi Radia S Digital Oil Column Heater TRRS1224EG, 12 Fin Home Heater for Medium to Large Rooms, 24-Hour Timer, LED Display, 2400W, Grey

Best overall. 12-fin oil column, 2400W, 24-hour timer, Eco mode. The DeLonghi oil column most consistently recommended by OzBargain regulars and Good Guys editorial. Slow, quiet, lasts a decade β€” the safe call for a 10-15mΒ² bedroom or study.

$229.00$269.00
Save 15%

Amazon.com.au price as of 03:22 pm AEST β€” subject to change

Verified in stock at Amazon AU 1 day ago

Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, NestPath earns from qualifying purchases.

Twelve fins of oil-filled steel get hot slowly, hold their heat for a long time after the element switches off, and run nearly silent through the night. The digital control panel includes a 24-hour timer, a thermostat that cycles accurately, and an Eco mode that drops the wattage by a third once the room is warm. Twelve fins is also enough surface area to handle a small open-plan bedroom or a medium-sized lounge β€” bigger than the 7-fin Radia S you'll see in budget reviews, smaller than the bulky 11-fin Dragon4.

The thing the spec sheet won't tell you: DeLonghi's Australian support is genuinely accessible if anything goes wrong. ProductReview comments are full of buyers who got replacements organised within a week. That's the differentiator on a product you intend to run six hours a night for four months a year.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Like every oil column, it's slow. Plan on 20 minutes from cold-start to comfortable room temperature; if you want instant warmth you want a fan heater, not this. The digital display is also a bit basic β€” no Wi-Fi, no app, no voice control. That's not what this product is for. If you want a smart heater, look at the Ausclimate or the Dyson further down the list.


Premium pick β€” Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde ($898)

The Dyson is the only product in this guide where the price tag stops being about heating. It's the heater that's also a cooling fan in summer, a HEPA-grade air purifier all year, and a formaldehyde-destroying catalytic filter that handles the off-gassing from new furniture, paint, and engineered timber floors β€” exactly the air-quality load a first-home buyer inherits in the first six months in a freshly fitted-out place. Canstar Blue has named Dyson its Most Satisfied Customers winner in the portable heater category three years running, which is the kind of streak that doesn't happen by accident.

Runner-up
Dyson Purifier Hot+Coolβ„’ Formaldehyde Purifying Fan Heater
Dyson

Dyson Purifier Hot+Coolβ„’ Formaldehyde Purifying Fan Heater

Premium pick. 2000W bladeless fan heater + cooling fan + HEPA H13 air purifier + catalytic Cryptomic formaldehyde filter. Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers winner three years running (2023-2025). Three appliances in one.

$898.00$1,149.00
Save 22%

Amazon.com.au price as of 03:22 pm AEST β€” subject to change

Verified in stock at Amazon AU 1 day ago

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As a heater specifically, it's a bladeless fan unit running ceramic heating coils at 2000W. It heats fast, oscillates to spread warm air, and has 10 power settings plus a thermostat. The honest framing: as a pure heater, you can get the same warmth from a $200 oil column. What you're buying at $898 is the three-appliances-in-one consolidation and the air-quality story. If you live in a one-bedroom apartment or a small first home, having one device handle heating, cooling, and air purification frees up a fan-and-purifier shelf you don't have.

Built-in HEPA H13 filter captures particles down to 0.1 microns; the activated carbon layer plus the catalytic Cryptomic filter (Dyson's name for their formaldehyde-destroying coating) handle gases. App control, voice control via Alexa or Google, and a real-time air-quality readout on the device.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The fan noise on high power is real β€” 50dB or so at full tilt, which is roughly office-air-conditioner volume. Not a bedside heater on full speed. Drop to setting 3 or below for sleeping and it's quiet enough; in a small bedroom you won't need full power anyway. Filter replacements run about $99 every 12 months of heavy use, which is the ongoing cost most people forget to factor in.


Best budget that's not a compromise β€” Goldair 11-Fin Oil Column ($129)

Goldair is the brand Choice has been quietly recommending as a $99-tier oil column favourite for years, and Canstar Blue gave them a 5-star ease-of-use rating in the 2025 portable heater awards. The 11-fin 2400W spec is identical to oil columns selling for three or four times the price; what you give up at $129 is a digital display, an Eco mode, and a few preset programs. None of those things actually affect how warm the room gets β€” they just change how you control the heat.

Budget pick
Goldair 11 Fin Oil Column Heater
Goldair

Goldair 11 Fin Oil Column Heater

Best budget that's not a compromise. 11-fin 2400W oil column with three heat settings, manual thermostat dial, tip-over safety switch. Choice's $99-tier favourite; Canstar 5-star ease of use.

$129.00

Amazon.com.au price as of 03:22 pm AEST β€” subject to change

Verified in stock at Amazon AU 1 day ago

Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, NestPath earns from qualifying purchases.

What you do get: a manual thermostat dial that holds a target temperature reliably, three heat settings (1000W / 1400W / 2400W), a tip-over safety switch, overheat protection, and castor wheels that actually roll on carpet rather than getting stuck. Made by the New Zealand-based Goldair Group, who have been doing exactly this kind of unfussy household appliance for the Aus/NZ market for over 50 years.

For a spare bedroom, a kid's room, a guest room, or a small first-home study where the heater needs to do its job and disappear, this is the right pick. We'd put it in front of any sub-$200 fan heater for the simple reason that fan heaters dry the air and make noise, and oil columns don't.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The dial thermostat is less precise than the digital ones on the Radia S β€” expect about a 1Β°C swing either side of your set point. The 24-hour timer is mechanical (turn-a-dial style) rather than programmable, so you can't set "on at 6pm, off at 10pm" β€” only "run for X hours from now". Both are fine in practice; just don't expect smart-heater behaviour at this price point.


Best for large rooms β€” Ausclimate EcoSmart Pro Large 2000W Panel Heater ($428)

Ausclimate is the surprising find of this guide. They won the ProductReview 2026 Award in the panel heater category, and Google's AI Overview explicitly names them as "Best Smart/Convection" β€” but they're almost invisible in the standard SEO buying guides because they don't pay to be there. They quietly build wall-mountable smart panel heaters in the 1500W and 2000W class, priced between budget Goldair and premium Noirot, with app control as standard.

Also great
Ausclimate EcoSmart Pro Large 2000W Panel Heater – Stone Grey
Ausclimate Healthy Indoor Climate Solutions

Ausclimate EcoSmart Pro Large 2000W Panel Heater – Stone Grey

Best for large rooms. 2000W smart panel heater for 25-35mΒ² open-plan spaces. ProductReview 2026 Award winner. Wi-Fi + app + geofencing + 0.5Β°C thermostat precision. Wall-mount or castor-stand.

$428.00$499.99
Save 14%

Amazon.com.au price as of 03:22 pm AEST β€” subject to change

Verified in stock at Amazon AU 1 day ago

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The EcoSmart Pro Large is the 2000W version designed for 25-35mΒ² rooms β€” open-plan living areas, large bedrooms, or the kind of long lounge-and-dining room you get in older Australian apartments. It can sit on the included castor stand or wall-mount on a stud (the bracket is in the box; you'll need a drill). Wi-Fi pairing through the Ausclimate app gives you scheduling, geofencing (heater turns on when your phone enters a defined area), and real-time energy monitoring. The thermostat is precise to 0.5Β°C, which is the spec that actually matters for running cost.

If you've got a large room and you want one heater rather than two, this is the call. It also looks like a wall art panel rather than an appliance, which matters more than we want to admit in a small first home where every surface counts.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Ausclimate app is functional but not Apple-Home or Google-Home native β€” you control the heater through their proprietary app, not through your existing smart-home stack. App reviews are mixed; the heater itself is excellent. The 5-year warranty is solid, but Ausclimate's repair turnaround is slower than Dyson or DeLonghi if something does go wrong β€” budget a week if you need a service call.


Premium panel β€” Noirot 2400W Spot Plus Panel Heater ($469)

Noirot is the French panel-heater specialist Choice quietly tests well year after year. The Spot Plus 7358-8 is the unit The Good Guys' editorial team singles out β€” fanless, near-silent, fitted with a precision electronic thermostat (Noirot's selling point) that holds a target temperature within half a degree of where you set it. Built like furniture rather than appliance; the warranty is 5 years against the more typical 1-2.

Also great
Noirot 2400W Spot Plus Panel Heater, 7358-8
Noirot

Noirot 2400W Spot Plus Panel Heater, 7358-8

Premium panel. 2400W French panel heater. Fanless, near-silent, precision electronic thermostat holds target within half a degree. 5-year warranty. Choice-tested; Good Guys editorial pick. Built like furniture, not appliance.

$469.00$699.00
Save 33%

Amazon.com.au price as of 03:22 pm AEST β€” subject to change

Verified in stock at Amazon AU 1 day ago

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If the Ausclimate is the smart-home-stack panel heater, the Noirot is the analog craftsmanship panel heater. There's no app, no Wi-Fi, no oscillating mode. There's a knob, an indicator light, and a heater that runs for a decade without you thinking about it. For a primary living room in a house you plan to stay in, the Noirot is what you'd choose if running cost over 10 years matters more than gadget appeal in year one.

2400W output suits 20-30mΒ² rooms. The fanless design means it heats the room by radiating warmth into the air and surfaces around it rather than blowing hot air β€” slower to feel warmth on your skin, but the room stays more evenly heated and the heat lingers after you turn the unit off.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

At $469 it's not budget, and a panel heater is a once-in-a-decade purchase rather than an upgrade-every-few-years item β€” make sure you've measured the wall space if you're planning to mount it. The fanless design means it doesn't push hot air to corners; in a very long room you'll feel the temperature gradient between the panel side and the far side. Best suited to roughly square rooms where the heat radiates evenly.


Cheapest pick that's not a compromise β€” Heller 2000W Upright Fan Heater ($38)

Heller is the Australian-stocked budget appliance brand that turns up at Big W, Target, and Amazon AU at sub-$50 price points. This 2000W upright fan heater isn't going to last a decade like the oil columns above, but at $38 it doesn't need to. It has feature parity with $200 fan heaters: adjustable thermostat, manual oscillation, overheat protection, and a tip-over switch.

Also great
Heller 2000W Adjustable Thermostat Upright Fan Heater
HELLER

Heller 2000W Adjustable Thermostat Upright Fan Heater

Cheapest pick that's not a compromise. 2000W upright fan heater with adjustable thermostat, manual oscillation, overheat protection, tip-over switch. Right for a small bathroom or study where you want heat in 60 seconds. Big W / Target staple.

$38.55

Amazon.com.au price as of 03:22 pm AEST β€” subject to change

Verified in stock at Amazon AU 1 day ago

Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, NestPath earns from qualifying purchases.

The honest framing: a fan heater is the right pick for a small room where you want instant warmth and you don't mind some noise. A bathroom while you get ready in the morning; a small home office for the first hour after you sit down; a baby's room briefly during a change. The 2000W output is enough to warm 6-8mΒ² in five minutes flat. Beyond that, you want an oil column or a panel β€” fan heaters dry the air faster than radiant heating and the noise is fatiguing over hours.

Heller's Australian warranty is 12 months and easy to claim through the retailer rather than the manufacturer. That's the trade-off at the budget price point: you don't get the long warranty tail, but you also haven't spent enough to be heartbroken if it needs replacing in three winters.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Build quality is plastic and lightweight β€” fine for the intended use, fragile if it gets knocked off a shelf. The "oscillation" is manual: you tilt the unit by hand to angle the heat. No remote, no timer. Don't run a fan heater overnight in a bedroom β€” the noise is too disruptive to use as a sleep heater, and they're designed for shorter, hotter bursts rather than continuous overnight use.


Best for bedrooms β€” Devanti 2200W Radiant Infrared Heater ($69)

Infrared heaters work differently from everything else in this guide. Instead of heating the air around you, they emit radiant warmth that heats people and objects directly, the same way the sun warms you on a cool morning. That makes them silent, surprisingly efficient for spot heating, and the right pick if you sleep light and fan noise wakes you up.

Also great
Devanti Radiant Heater, 2200W Electric Infrared Heaters for Bedroom Indoor Home Room Bathroom Space Heating, with 2 Settings Portable Wheel Aluminium Steel Black
Devanti

Devanti Radiant Heater, 2200W Electric Infrared Heaters for Bedroom Indoor Home Room Bathroom Space Heating, with 2 Settings Portable Wheel Aluminium Steel Black

Best for bedrooms. 2200W radiant infrared heater on castor wheels. Silent radiant warmth β€” heats people, not air. Cheapest entry into the infrared category. Best for spot heating; less useful as whole-room option.

$69.33

Amazon.com.au price as of 03:22 pm AEST β€” subject to change

Verified in stock at Amazon AU 1 day ago

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As an Amazon Associate, NestPath earns from qualifying purchases.

Devanti's 2200W radiant unit is on castor wheels and tilts to direct heat toward where you're sitting or sleeping. The element warms up in about 30 seconds (much faster than oil column, much slower than fan), and because infrared radiation doesn't depend on air circulation, the heat works in drafty rooms where fan heaters and convectors lose efficiency. At $69, it's the cheapest entry into the infrared category β€” the genuine alternative if you've ruled out fan noise but can't justify the Radia S budget.

It works best for spot heating: aimed at a chair, a bed, or the side of the room where you actually are. Less useful as a whole-room heater for an open-plan space β€” the warmth drops off quickly with distance from the element.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The orange-red glow from the infrared element is visible across the room, which some people find soothing and others find distracting at night (covering the front with a fabric panel is a fire risk β€” don't do it). The unit gets genuinely hot to the touch on the front face; not a heater to leave running unsupervised around small kids or pets. And as with all infrared, the warmth stops the moment the element switches off β€” there's no thermal mass to hold heat the way an oil column does.


What to look for in a heater

Heater shopping in Australia gets confusing fast because the same $200 unit can be brilliant in one room and useless in another. We've sorted through the noise so you can match the right type to your space, work out what you'll actually pay to run it, and avoid the safety traps that catch first-home buyers off guard. Here's what genuinely matters before you click buy.

Match the heater type to the room

The biggest mistake we see is buying a fan heater for a living room or an oil column for a tiny ensuite. Heater type is really a room-size decision, not a brand decision.

  • Oil column heaters suit 8-15mΒ² rooms. They're slow to warm up but hold heat well, making them the best heater for bedrooms where you want steady overnight warmth without noise.
  • Panel heaters handle 10-30mΒ² rooms and are the best heater for a large room like an open-plan living area, especially if you wall-mount on a stud to free up floor space.
  • Fan heaters work in rooms under 8mΒ² when you need instant warmth, think a small home office or a bathroom while you get ready. They're noisy and don't retain heat once switched off.
  • Infrared heaters are silent and radiant, which makes them a quiet pick for bedrooms and bathrooms where fan noise would wake you or steam up controls.
  • Ceramic tower heaters oscillate, stay cool to the touch, and are usually the safest bet if you've got pets or toddlers wandering past.

Wattage vs. running cost

Every portable heater sold in Australia tops out at 2400W because that's the ceiling for a standard 10A power point. The maths is straightforward: wattage multiplied by your electricity rate, multiplied by hours used. At roughly $0.32/kWh in 2026, a 2400W heater running flat out for four hours costs about $3 a night.

But "full power" is misleading. The thermostat is what saves you money. Once the room hits your set temperature, modern oil columns and panel heaters cycle on and off, drawing well below full wattage for most of the evening. The cheapest heater to run isn't the lowest-wattage one, it's the unit with the most accurate thermostat sized to the room you actually have. Choice and Canstar reviews tend to flag thermostat accuracy as the single biggest factor in real-world running costs, and we'd agree.

Safety features that actually matter

Skip the marketing list and look for four things: a tip-over switch that cuts power if the unit topples, overheat protection that shuts down if the element gets too hot, a cool-touch exterior so a knee or paw against it doesn't cause a burn, and an Australian plug with the RCM compliance mark printed on the rating label.

If you've got kids or pets in the house, avoid fan heaters with exposed elements glowing red behind the grille. Oil column and panel heaters are a much safer call because the heat source is enclosed and the surface temperature stays manageable.

Smart features (or not)

Wi-Fi and app control is genuinely useful if you want to switch the heater on twenty minutes before you get home from work so the lounge is warm when you walk in. Voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant works as advertised, though most people set it up once and never use it.

For most first-home buyers, smart features are nice-to-have rather than need-to-have. A 24-hour programmable timer covers 90% of the use case: set it to come on at 6pm and switch off at 10pm, and you've solved the "warm house when I want it" problem without paying the smart-heater premium.

AU warranty and where you buy from

Most mainstream heater brands offer a 1-2 year Australian warranty. Premium names like Dyson and Noirot stretch that to 5-7 years, which matters more than the spec sheet suggests once you're three winters in. Check the brand's AU support page rather than relying on the listing.

Where you buy matters as much as what you buy. On Amazon AU, favour the buy-box listing that's fulfilled by the manufacturer or by Amazon directly over marketplace third parties. ProductReview AU comments are full of buyers who couldn't claim warranty because the unit came from a grey-market seller. Pay the few extra dollars for the official channel and keep the receipt.


Care and maintenance

Electric heaters are low-maintenance compared with gas or ducted systems, but a few habits will keep yours running safely for the full warranty period and beyond. Here's what we recommend.

First-use protocol

Brand new heaters off-gas the oils and protective coatings used in manufacturing the first time the element gets hot. Before you use a new heater overnight or in a closed bedroom, run it on full power for around 30 minutes in a well-ventilated room, with a window cracked open. A faint smell on that first heat-up is normal and harmless, but it shouldn't return after the second or third use. If it does, that's a sign to investigate, not ignore.

Cleaning

Always unplug the heater and let it cool fully before you touch it with anything wet. Wipe the exterior with a damp (not soaking) cloth to lift dust, which is the main thing that builds up over a winter. For fan heaters and ceramic towers, vacuum the intake and outlet grilles once a month during peak use, because dust accumulation inside the housing is what triggers the burning-dust smell people often mistake for a fault. Never spray water, glass cleaner, or any liquid directly near electrical components or the control panel.

Off-season storage

When winter ends, where you store the heater matters more than most people realise. Avoid damp areas like under the house, a garage near a garden hose, or a laundry that shares a wall with a shower. Cover the unit loosely with a breathable cloth such as an old cotton sheet. Do not wrap it in plastic. Plastic traps condensation, and condensation on heating elements becomes corrosion by next May, which is exactly when you want to plug the thing in and have it work.

When to replace (not repair)

Electric heaters are not DIY-repair territory. If you notice any of the following, stop using the unit and replace it: a burning smell that doesn't fade after a few minutes of running, visible scorch marks on the housing or near the cord, intermittent power where the heater cuts out and restarts on its own, or a thermostat that no longer cycles the heat off once the room is warm. If the unit is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer's Australian support line first. If it's out of warranty, recycle it through your council's e-waste program rather than binning it, and treat the replacement as a safety upgrade rather than a grudge purchase.


You'll also want

A heater warms the air, but how much you actually spend keeping the room warm depends on a few cross-category accessories that work alongside it. Direct search-link products from Amazon AU:

  • Smart plug with energy monitoring β€” drop a TP-Link Tapo P110 between the wall and your heater and you'll see exactly what it costs to run each hour, plus schedule it via app so it kicks off 20 minutes before you get home rather than running all afternoon. Pays for itself the first month. TP-Link Tapo P110 on Amazon AU
  • Draft excluder for under doors β€” every degree your room loses to a draft under the door costs you roughly 10% more heating time to recover. A $15 fabric snake-style excluder on each internal door is the cheapest insulation upgrade in the house. Door draft excluders on Amazon AU
  • Thermal-backed curtains β€” the single biggest free upgrade to room insulation, especially in older Australian rentals and weatherboard first homes where the windows are single-glazed. Thermal blockout curtains cut heat loss through the glass by 30-40% overnight, so the heater works less to hold the same temperature. Thermal blockout curtains on Amazon AU
  • Electric blanket β€” pre-warm the bed for 10 minutes before sleep, then turn the heater off entirely overnight. Cheaper to run than any heater per hour, and the bedroom stays comfortable because you're heating the human, not the room. We cover the picks in the best electric blanket guide. Electric blankets on Amazon AU
  • Hygrometer β€” winter air gets dry, especially when a heater is running, and if humidity drops below 40% you'll wake up dehydrated with a scratchy throat. A $15 digital hygrometer tells you when it's time to crack a window or run a humidifier. Digital hygrometers on Amazon AU
  • Heavy-duty extension cord 10A rated β€” do not run a 2400W heater off a thin extension cord. The cord must be 10A rated minimum, AS/NZS 3199 compliant, and ideally a single-outlet design so you're not tempted to plug anything else into it. Anything less is a fire risk the insurer will refuse to cover. 10A heavy-duty extension cords on Amazon AU
  • Carbon monoxide alarm β€” non-negotiable for any home running a gas heater, flued or unflued. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and can build up in poorly ventilated rooms; a $30 alarm clipped to the wall is the entire safety system. Skip this only if your heating is 100% electric. Carbon monoxide alarms on Amazon AU

The competition β€” products we considered but didn't pick

  • De'Longhi Dragon4 TRD42400ET (2400W oil column) β€” universally recommended by Choice and Canstar and arguably the best oil column ever sold in Australia, but currently out of stock on Amazon AU's buy-box. The Radia S (our top pick) is the next-best DeLonghi in the same product family. If you see the Dragon4 ETC back in stock, it's a legitimate substitution.
  • De'Longhi Dragon4 TRD42400MT (manual variant) β€” same Dragon4 chassis as the digital ETC version, mechanical thermostat instead of the digital one, currently out of stock on Amazon AU. If either Dragon4 variant comes back into the buy-box, treat it as a top-pick swap; the chassis is the same as the digital and the mechanical thermostat is fine.
  • Dimplex ECR Oil-Free Column with Turbo Fan β€” Choice-tested, 7-year warranty, and one of the few oil-free columns with a built-in turbo fan to push warm air across the room. Currently out of stock on Amazon AU's buy-box. Worth checking direct at Bunnings if you're set on Dimplex specifically β€” it's a strong pick when available, just not from Amazon this week.
  • Rinnai 2200W Panel Heater β€” Canstar Blue 5-star features award winner and a competent panel heater. Not consistently stocked on Amazon AU's buy-box because Rinnai distributes its electric panels primarily through specialist retail channels (they're better known in Australia as a gas-heating brand). Try The Good Guys or Harvey Norman if you want this specific model.
  • Kogan SmarterHome 1500W Glass Panel Heater β€” visually striking, Wi-Fi enabled, and priced sharply. Skipped because as a retailer house brand the warranty and support tail is weaker than Ausclimate or Noirot at a similar price point, and panel heaters live or die on the 5-year mark when the thermostat starts to drift. Worth a look if you're already a Kogan First member and replacement is easy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest type of heater to run in Australia?

Reverse-cycle air-conditioning is genuinely the cheapest per hour to run, because heat-pump efficiency means it delivers roughly 3-4 kilowatts of heat for every 1 kilowatt of electricity drawn. Among portable plug-in heaters, an oil column with a thermostat that cycles on and off wins on running cost β€” both Bunnings and Daewoo cite this in their own product guides. Halogen and infrared heaters draw fewer watts but heat people rather than rooms, so total cost depends on whether you're sitting still in front of one or trying to warm the whole space.

Which heater is best to warm a room?

Depends on room size, insulation, and how long you'll use it. A large open-plan living area is best served by a panel heater mounted on a wall stud or a reverse-cycle split system β€” portable units struggle with the volume. A medium-sized bedroom or study suits an oil column, which holds steady temperature for hours without noise. Small spaces or instant-warmth needs (bathroom before a shower, kitchen first thing) suit a fan or ceramic heater.

How much does it cost to run a 1500W heater for 24 hours?

At roughly $0.32 per kilowatt-hour across most Australian retail electricity plans in 2026, a 1500W heater running flat-out for 24 hours costs around $11.50. Realistically the thermostat cycles on and off rather than running continuously, so actual daily cost lands at 50-70% of that β€” roughly $6 to $8 for the day. The thermostat is doing the heavy lifting on your power bill; a heater without one is the expensive option even if the wattage looks identical on the box.

Which heaters use the least electricity?

Infrared heaters and oil columns with thermostat cycling use the least electricity per hour of effective warmth. Wattage alone doesn't tell you running cost β€” what matters is the duty cycle, which is the percentage of time the element is actually drawing power. A 2400W oil column on a thermostat might only draw full power 30% of the time once the room is warm, while a 1500W fan heater without a thermostat draws its full rating the whole time it's on. Always read the thermostat spec, not just the wattage.

What's the best heater for a bedroom in Australia?

An oil column or an infrared heater β€” both are silent. Fan heaters and ceramic heaters work fine in a bedroom but the fan noise is genuinely disruptive to light sleepers, and the air movement dries out the room faster than radiant heating does. The Devanti infrared at $69 is the cheapest silent option in our picks and is fine for a small-to-medium bedroom; the DeLonghi Radia S oil column at $229 is the long-term pick that'll still be working in a decade. Pair either with an electric blanket and you can run the heater for an hour before bed and turn it off overnight.


Bundle: Setting up your first home for winter?

A heater is one piece of the winter setup, not the whole of it. The biggest wins on a power bill come from pairing the heater with the right bed setup, the right indoor-air management, and the right insulation β€” heating less is always cheaper than heating better. Here's the rest of the NestPath winter stack:

  • Best electric blanket in Australia β€” pre-warm the bed and turn the heater off overnight. Cheapest paired-heating saving in the house, and the picks cover dual-control, fitted-skirt and washable options.
  • Best dehumidifier in Australia β€” winter air management matters more than most first-home buyers realise. Closed windows plus a running heater plus showers and cooking equals condensation on every window and mould on the bathroom ceiling by August. A dehumidifier solves it.
  • Best air purifier in Australia β€” winter indoor air quality drops because you stop opening windows. Combine that with a gas heater, candles, or a wood fire and the particulate load in the room is higher than the air outside. A HEPA purifier handles it for the cost of running a desk lamp.

Together these three sit alongside the heater pick to make winter in an Australian first home cheaper, drier, and easier to breathe in. None of them is glamorous on its own; the combination is the difference between a comfortable winter and the one where your power bill triples and the bathroom ceiling goes black.


About the author

Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au

DETAILED REVIEWS
Top pick
De'Longhi Radia S Digital Oil Column Heater TRRS1224EG, 12 Fin Home Heater for Medium to Large Rooms, 24-Hour Timer, LED Display, 2400W, Grey
De'Longhi

De'Longhi Radia S Digital Oil Column Heater TRRS1224EG, 12 Fin Home Heater for Medium to Large Rooms, 24-Hour Timer, LED Display, 2400W, Grey

Best overall. 12-fin oil column, 2400W, 24-hour timer, Eco mode. The DeLonghi oil column most consistently recommended by OzBargain regulars and Good Guys editorial. Slow, quiet, lasts a decade β€” the safe call for a 10-15mΒ² bedroom or study.

$229.00$269.00
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Runner-up
Dyson Purifier Hot+Coolβ„’ Formaldehyde Purifying Fan Heater
Dyson

Dyson Purifier Hot+Coolβ„’ Formaldehyde Purifying Fan Heater

Premium pick. 2000W bladeless fan heater + cooling fan + HEPA H13 air purifier + catalytic Cryptomic formaldehyde filter. Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers winner three years running (2023-2025). Three appliances in one.

$898.00$1,149.00
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Budget pick
Goldair 11 Fin Oil Column Heater
Goldair

Goldair 11 Fin Oil Column Heater

Best budget that's not a compromise. 11-fin 2400W oil column with three heat settings, manual thermostat dial, tip-over safety switch. Choice's $99-tier favourite; Canstar 5-star ease of use.

$129.00

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Also great
Ausclimate EcoSmart Pro Large 2000W Panel Heater – Stone Grey
Ausclimate Healthy Indoor Climate Solutions

Ausclimate EcoSmart Pro Large 2000W Panel Heater – Stone Grey

Best for large rooms. 2000W smart panel heater for 25-35mΒ² open-plan spaces. ProductReview 2026 Award winner. Wi-Fi + app + geofencing + 0.5Β°C thermostat precision. Wall-mount or castor-stand.

$428.00$499.99
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Also great
Noirot 2400W Spot Plus Panel Heater, 7358-8
Noirot

Noirot 2400W Spot Plus Panel Heater, 7358-8

Premium panel. 2400W French panel heater. Fanless, near-silent, precision electronic thermostat holds target within half a degree. 5-year warranty. Choice-tested; Good Guys editorial pick. Built like furniture, not appliance.

$469.00$699.00
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Also great
Heller 2000W Adjustable Thermostat Upright Fan Heater
HELLER

Heller 2000W Adjustable Thermostat Upright Fan Heater

Cheapest pick that's not a compromise. 2000W upright fan heater with adjustable thermostat, manual oscillation, overheat protection, tip-over switch. Right for a small bathroom or study where you want heat in 60 seconds. Big W / Target staple.

$38.55

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Also great
Devanti Radiant Heater, 2200W Electric Infrared Heaters for Bedroom Indoor Home Room Bathroom Space Heating, with 2 Settings Portable Wheel Aluminium Steel Black
Devanti

Devanti Radiant Heater, 2200W Electric Infrared Heaters for Bedroom Indoor Home Room Bathroom Space Heating, with 2 Settings Portable Wheel Aluminium Steel Black

Best for bedrooms. 2200W radiant infrared heater on castor wheels. Silent radiant warmth β€” heats people, not air. Cheapest entry into the infrared category. Best for spot heating; less useful as whole-room option.

$69.33

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