Anybody used these new efficient panel heaters?

[Bobsyouruncle]

Lots of glowing reviews regarding efficiency and low running costs on these.
LINK

They seem to be a very cheap option to meet compulsory heating requirements for landlords. Anybody used them? Any good? any bad?

[Learning]

They're just as 'efficient' as any standard electric heater. Putting 'Eco' or 'efficient' in the name doesn't make them any more economic or efficient.

"They are very economical, while other heaters can use up to 2000 watts, the ecosave only uses 425 watts." - there's a great misleading statement. 2kw heaters use 2kw of electricity to make 2kw of heat energy. These 425w heaters use 425w of electricty to make 425w of heat energy.

[eri]

i prefer fan heaters

must be more efficient to be able to direct the heat to where it's wanted

and not just the ceiling

[Bobsyouruncle]

OK so they aren't any more efficient at all. Thanks learning.
I am slightly confused though as the energy websites say things like:
"they're considered to be reasonably energy efficient as far as electric heaters go, using around 1/3 as much electricity as their radiant bar heating cousins."

[Learning]

That statement is absolutely true. What it doesn't say is that it only produces 1/3 as much heat as its heater cousins.

When using electricity to make heat, energy going in equals heat coming out (minus insignificant losses and any used for fans, etc).

Heatpumps don't make heat. They move existing heat from one place to another and therefore can be much more economical in regards of power used for heat provided.

[Bobsyouruncle]

OK got you. Still a cheap option to comply I guess but not actually much good. Bummer.

[eri]

we used to rate light bulbs (tungsten wire) by Watts, how much power they used, 100 watts was a good bulb for a big room

most of that 100 watts was burnt as heat but that was the best, cheapest way to make light

then we had a technological breakthrough allowing small fluro's, 5x times more efficient than tungsten to be cost effective alternatives

so we only needed 18watts to light a big room with half? of that being wasted as heat

quickly following we had LED and now only 5?watts is needed, with only 1 or 2 watts wasted as heat

in the future we'll get that down too by going down the heatless bioluminescence path

but for heaters there have been no such breakthroughs

what there has been, is a whole-lot of dodgy marketing speak

if a 1000 watt 2 bar radiant bar heater is your standard

you can release exactly the same heater with a smaller 800 watt bar

and say it "uses 20% less power than a standard heater"

except you'll have to run it 20% longer to get the same heat output

heatpumps are more efficient

but cost thousands and not $20

lower power wall heaters have to run almost all day and barely raise the temp by 2 degrees

[Bobsyouruncle]

Ye thanks Eri, that is exactly what I was asking. Is this new tech hence the lower wattage.

[eri]

Learning summed it better

we seem to have gone about far as we can with producing heat from electricity

heat pumps get it from other places and move it round

hence the whole modern emphasis on electric heating well insulated houses, instead of burning wood + coal in drafty ones

but insulation still needs ventilation and we just can't seem to get some people to make better and smarter choices

not just 1 or 2, every now and then

but strung together for an entire life

[jimO]

we have one in our back bedroom, seems to warm the room, dont know how efficient they are

[Perry]

I agree with Learning's trite observations. All the double-talk gets depressing after a while, when one realises how - despite being true statements - people are being suckered by the BS market-speak.

It is quite possible that the use of the word efficient in that context is misleading or deceptive advertising. Anyone with some time on their hands want to take it up with the Advertising Standards Authority?

[eri]

we have one in our back bedroom, seems to warm the room, dont know how efficient they are

i suspect

they are all that would be needed

in most; modern, well insulated and well built pllaces

but they just won't do much in; an unreformed villa, bungalow or otherwise old, drafty uninsulated kiwi house

[Bob Kane]

What Learning said.
The be more blunt - it's a piddling little heater pumping out 425 watts - about 4 light bulbs - no bloody use at all.
The rest of the spiel is bullshit.

[RollingCloud]

The sustainability Trust had this to say about panel heaters: It is a common buyer's mistake to buy a heater that's too small for the job.Low-wattage, wall-mounted ceramic panel heaters, especially those around 450watts, often turn out to be too underpowered for larger bedrooms, for example. "They are really good for heating a cupboard," Parker says. Energywise warns that they usually do not give off enough heat to bring a room to comfortable and healthy temperatures.
Some only produce as much heat as a couple of lightbulbs.
A test by Consumer showed a panel heater took 21 minutes to raise an insulated room's 8C temperature by 2C. Panel heaters are fine if all you want to do is take the chill off an already warm-ish room. If you want real heat, you are better at looking at other options.

[hawkeye]

If they are used in an insulated house and are in most rooms they do provide a background warmth like a heated towel rail in a bathroom. Our neighbour has one in the hallway in her small flat and it takes the edge off the cold but not much more.

If you screw them to the wall be gentle as they crack if they are stressed.