Why heat just your office
Quick answer
Running central heating for a full workday can cost several pounds. A 600 W heater holding one room at 21°C costs at most about £1.26 for an 8-hour day at full power, and often less once the thermostat cycles.
What to look for
- Quiet enough for video calls
- A thermostat that holds a steady temperature
- A small footprint
- A remote so you don't leave your desk
Garden offices
Insulated garden rooms suit low-wattage heaters well. Poorly insulated sheds may need more power.
Running cost calculator
| Per day | Per week | Winter (26 wks) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varmo 600 W* | £0.26 | £1.82 | £47.32 |
| 2,000 W fan heater | £2.60 | £18.20 | £473.20 |
*Estimate: one hour at full power to warm the room, then ThermoLock topping up about 10 minutes an hour. Real costs depend on room size, insulation and outside temperature.
Get Varmo for £59How do I choose a heater for sitting at a desk all day?
Start by checking whether you need warmer room air or simply feel chilly while sitting still. A chair beside a cold window can feel uncomfortable even when the rest of the office is reasonably warm. Moving the desk away from the draught may help before you buy another appliance.
For room heating, compare the required output, thermostat and safe placement. A heater should work without blowing directly at your legs or sitting among cables and papers. Varmo's 600 W output can suit a normal enclosed room, but there is no universal room-size guarantee.
If several people share the office, consider their needs too. A low setting that suits someone moving around may not suit a person seated for long periods. Use a room thermometer and agree a comfortable temperature rather than repeatedly turning the heater up and down.
Why can an office heater cost more than expected?
The common mistake is treating thermostat-controlled use as if the heater will always be off for much of the day. In a cold office, it may run almost continuously. The thermostat cannot reduce the room's heat loss; it can only stop heating once its target is reached.
A 600 W appliance running for eight hours costs about £1.26 at the stated rate, not automatically less than £1. Adding an evening session or using a second heater increases that total. Your tariff may also differ from the national average.
Check what else remains on. If central heating follows its usual schedule while the office heater runs, the new appliance may add to the bill rather than replace much existing use. Compare complete heating routines, while keeping other occupied rooms warm enough.
Will a small heater work in a garden office in winter?
A garden office can lose heat through its roof, floor, walls and windows. Unlike an upstairs room inside the house, it may have no neighbouring heated space. Wind exposure and opening the door regularly can make a noticeable difference to the heating load.
Check that the building is dry, insulated and supplied by a suitable electrical installation. Do not run an indoor heater from an improvised extension lead across the garden. If there is any doubt about the supply, ask a qualified electrician to assess it.
Varmo is not a cure for a cold shed. If the office temperature stays low while the appliance runs continuously, seek an appropriately sized heating solution and improve the building where practical. For regular full-day use, fixed heating may offer a better long-term arrangement.
Where should I place a heater near my desk?
Find a clear wall socket outside the cluttered area beneath the desk. Paper recycling, laptop bags, coats and loose cables must not surround the heater. Keep the manufacturer's required space around the inlet and outlet, even if this means choosing another location.
Varmo's rotating UK plug can help with socket orientation, but the whole appliance still needs to be positioned as instructed. Do not place it behind a cabinet or point it into a narrow gap just because the socket is convenient. Plug directly into the wall.
Allow for changes during the day. A chair can roll backwards, a coat can be dropped and a curtain can move. Before starting work, check the space is still clear. Switch the heater off when leaving the office rather than depending on an automatic timer.
Is a ceramic heater quiet enough for video calls?
The ceramic element does not tell you how much sound an appliance makes. Fan design, speed, vibration and room acoustics all matter. A microphone may also pick up a sound that seems unobtrusive from the chair, especially with the heater close to the desk.
Varmo is described as having a silent fan, but no independent sound test is provided here. We cannot promise that it will be inaudible on every call. Avoid treating marketing terms as a substitute for a measured noise level or a practical trial.
If fan noise is a priority, consider a fanless oil-filled radiator or suitable fixed heating. Those options have their own space and warm-up considerations. Check the return policy before buying, and never cover or enclose a heater to try to reduce its sound.
How can I test whether heating only my office saves money?
Write down your usual heating schedule and the rooms occupied during working hours. Then consider a safe alternative that lowers or shortens central-heating use while maintaining suitable temperatures elsewhere. Do not turn off essential background heating merely to make the office calculation look attractive.
Record electricity and gas use over several comparable days. Note outdoor weather, working hours, hot-water use and other major appliances. A colder day can obscure a saving, while a mild day can make an ineffective change appear successful.
Use your actual unit rates to price the difference. Smart-meter totals are useful, but they include more than the office heater. A short trial gives an indication, not a guaranteed annual saving. If the central heating barely changes, there may be little financial benefit from adding electric heat.
What should I do if my office still feels cold?
Check the basics before raising the target temperature. Is the door frequently open? Is a window draught reaching the chair? Is the thermostat reading warm air beside the heater while the desk remains chilly? A separate thermometer can help distinguish these problems.
Clothing layers, short movement breaks and a better desk position can improve comfort. They do not replace adequate room heating, particularly for someone with a health condition. Keep intended ventilation working, and do not seal the room so tightly that moisture becomes a problem.
If 600 W cannot maintain a comfortable temperature, accept the limit rather than running several small heaters without a plan. Consider insulation improvements or a properly sized alternative. Varmo costs £59 for one unit, so include that purchase cost when deciding whether a short-term office arrangement is worthwhile.
| Time heating | Electricity | Cost at 26.32p/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | 1.2 kWh | £0.32 |
| 4 hours | 2.4 kWh | £0.63 |
| 8 hours | 4.8 kWh | £1.26 |
| 20 eight-hour days | 96 kWh | £25.27 |
Who it is not for
We'd rather you buy the right heater than return the wrong one. Varmo is probably not for you if:
- Your desk is in a large open-plan area that cannot be separated from the rest of the home.
- The only socket is under a crowded desk or close to paper, bags or curtains.
- Your garden office is damp, poorly insulated or cannot stay warm with 600 W.
How we worked this out
Electricity use equals power in kW multiplied by operating hours. These examples use 0.6 kW and assume full output throughout, with no assumed thermostat saving.
Costs use Ofgem's average Direct Debit electricity rate of 26.32p/kWh for 1 October–31 December 2026. Rates vary by region and tariff. No electricity VAT applies during October 2026–March 2027.
The 54.83p daily electricity standing charge is excluded because it is normally payable whether the heater runs or not. Purchase costs and any changes to central-heating consumption are separate.
More questions answered
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these independent sources. Energy prices use the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026.
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