r/AskUK•
Chaoslava

Should I use an oil heater overnight on cheap electricity tariff, or stick with gas Central Heating?

Hi guys

On Tomato Energy which offers 5p/kwh between 1-6am, and elsewise on Octopus tracker for gas which bounces between 4-6p/kwh across the winter period.

I live in a standard brick 3 bed semi detatched. My mad reasoning is if I bought a cheap electric oil radiator and set it to run for a 5 hour blast at 1am in our hallway, this would allow the centre house to soak up a bit of heat and be a bit warmer in the morning, and also be a bit more cost efficient than blasting the central heating at 6am/7am when everyone wakes up.

Is this sound logic or have I dozed into the realm of madness. What do you think?

Posted Sep 13, 2025, 10:58 PM UTC

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