A £39.99 Dreo Electric Heater warmed a draughty kitchen in five minutes, costing 30p per hour in electricity, according to a reviewer's test. The compact device, which stands at 28cm tall, was bought to tackle the coldest room in a home ahead of the October temperature drop.
Test in a cold kitchen diner
Catherine Addison-Swan, writing for What's On, said the kitchen diner is the coldest room in her house, with temperatures dropping as low as 10C last winter. Draught excluders and seal tape had not solved the issue, and a new larger radiator installed two years ago had also failed to keep the room warm.
She bought the Dreo heater after seeing its thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon and its position at the top of the bestseller list for home heating gadgets. The reviewer chose it for its sleek black and gold design and its "whisper-quiet" performance, unlike budget space heaters she had tried before.
Performance and cost comparison
In her test, she set the heater to 25C on full power and found the room felt considerably warmer within a couple of minutes, forcing her to turn it off after five minutes. A digital thermostat climbed a whole degree in that time, whereas her central heating would take at least half an hour to do the same.
According to her smart meter, the Dreo heater cost 30p per hour in electricity on the settings used, compared to her central heating's 38p per hour in gas usage. The central heating warms the whole house, but the heater's faster performance means it can be used for short bursts in one room.
Price comparison and minor drawback
At £39.99, the heater undercuts similar models from other brands. The Philips Compact Ceramic Heater 2000 Series is priced at £52.99, and the Pro Breeze 1800W Circular Ceramic Mini Fan Heater also costs £52.99.
The reviewer noted one design issue: the heater emits a loud beep when switched on or off or when settings are adjusted, which she said could be a problem when trying not to wake her baby. Despite this, she said the heater is likely to make a huge difference to her home during the colder months, potentially allowing her to eat meals in the kitchen diner for the first time in winter.
