Room Heater in Nepal: Halogen, Oil-Filled or Fan Heater, and What It Costs to Run
Updated 31 October 2026. Heater types and safety advice are from the UK’s Centre for Sustainable Energy, Which?, Consumer Reports, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the US Fire Administration. Electricity rates are from the Electricity Regulatory Commission’s tariff decision and news reports. Our price is our website price that day.
Short answer: For short bursts of warmth where you sit, a halogen or carbon heater (about 1 to 1.2 kW) is cheapest to buy and run. To keep a bedroom warm through the evening, an oil-filled radiator with a thermostat is the steadier choice. A fan heater warms a room fastest but is noisy. At Rs 9.50 a unit, a 1.2 kW heater costs about Rs 11 an hour on full and a 2 kW heater about Rs 19 an hour. Our Sevent halogen heater costs Rs 2,200.
Types of room heater
| Type | Typical power | How it heats | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halogen | About 1.2 kW | Radiant: warms you and things in front of it | Quick warmth where you sit | Bright glow; no warmth once off; can tip over |
| Carbon or quartz (infrared) | About 0.4 to 1.2 kW | Radiant | Spot heating, small rooms | Hot tubes; keep away from fabric |
| Oil-filled radiator | 1.5 to 2.5 kW | Convection: warms the air slowly and evenly | Keeping a bedroom warm for hours; quiet | Slow to start; the surface gets very hot |
| Fan or ceramic (PTC) | 1.2 to 2 kW | Convection with a fan | Warming a room quickly | Fan noise; heat fades fast when off |
Radiant heaters only warm what’s in front of them, so they suit short spells. Convection heaters warm the air in the whole room, so they suit longer use. Neither type is meant to heat a whole house.
What a heater costs to run
A heater’s power in kilowatts is how many units (kWh) it uses per hour on full. At Rs 9.50 a unit, the rate most households pay on their middle blocks of use:
| Heater | Units per hour on full | Cost per hour | 4 hours a night for 30 nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon heater, 1 kW | 1 | About Rs 9.50 | About Rs 1,140 |
| Halogen heater, 1.2 kW | 1.2 | About Rs 11.40 | About Rs 1,370 |
| Oil-filled or fan heater, 2 kW | 2 | About Rs 19 | About Rs 2,280 |
Real costs are usually lower: heaters with a thermostat or low setting don’t run at full power all the time. They can also be higher: use above 250 units a month is charged at Rs 11 a unit, and since 17 July 2026 homes pay 5% VAT on electricity above 50 units a month. Your NEA bill shows which blocks you fall in.
Check your wiring first
At Nepal’s 230 volts, a 1.2 kW heater draws about 5.2 amps and a 2 kW heater about 8.7 amps. On a 5 amp meter connection, a heater on its own is already at or over the limit, so the breaker may trip as soon as you switch on a rice cooker or geyser. Heaters belong on a 15 amp socket. If your home is on a 5 amp connection, ask NEA about upgrading it, and have an electrician check the socket and wire.
Heater safety
- Keep about 1 metre clear of beds, curtains, sofas and clothes on all sides.
- Plug it straight into the wall. Never use an extension cord or multi-plug, and don’t run the cable under a rug.
- Switch it off when you sleep or leave the room. Nepal Police have urged people to switch heaters off before going out.
- Buy one with a tip-over switch and overheat cut-out. Stand it on a flat, stable floor.
- Never dry clothes on or near it, and keep it away from water and bathrooms.
- If the plug, cable or socket gets hot, unplug it and have the socket checked.
- Keep small children and pets away. Oil-filled radiators have no glowing element but their surface still gets hot enough to burn.
Which heater should you buy?
- A student room, office desk or quick warm-up before bed: a halogen or carbon heater.
- A bedroom kept warm for the evening: an oil-filled radiator with a thermostat.
- A room you want warm in 15 minutes: a fan or ceramic heater.
- Hot water for bathing: a geyser, not a heater. See our geyser price guide.
Our room heater
| Heater | Features (from our listing) | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Sevent SI-250 Inspire Plus halogen heater | 1,200 W, 3 heat settings, tip-over switch, overheat protection, wide-angle oscillation, folding design with handle | Rs 2,200 |
Our website price on 31 October 2026. Looking for an oil-filled or fan heater? Ask us what is coming in for winter.
Frequently asked questions
Which room heater uses the least electricity?
The one with the lowest wattage that still keeps you warm. A 1.2 kW halogen heater uses 1.2 units an hour on full; a 2 kW fan or oil-filled heater uses 2 units an hour on full. Oil-filled heaters with a thermostat switch on and off once the room is warm, so they often cost less over an evening.
How much does a room heater cost to run in Nepal?
At Rs 9.50 a unit, a 1.2 kW heater costs about Rs 11 an hour on full and a 2 kW heater about Rs 19 an hour. Heavy winter use can also push your home past 50 units a month, above which households now pay 5% VAT.
Is it safe to sleep with a heater on?
Safety bodies such as the US Consumer Product Safety Commission advise turning heaters off when you sleep or leave the room. Nepal Police have also urged people to switch heaters off before going out.
Can I plug a heater into an extension cord?
No. Plug heaters straight into a wall socket. Extension cords and multi-plugs can overheat under a heater’s load.
Will a heater work on a 5 amp meter connection?
A 1.2 kW heater draws a little over 5 amps and a 2 kW heater about 8.7 amps, so a 5 amp connection will struggle, especially with anything else running. Use a 15 amp socket and ask an electrician if your breaker trips.
What is the room heater price at Quality Computer?
The Sevent SI-250 Inspire Plus halogen heater costs Rs 2,200 on our website (31 October 2026).
Sources
- Room heaters, Centre for Sustainable Energy
- Best oil-filled radiators, Which?
- Best electric heaters, Which?
- Space heater buying guide, Consumer Reports
- Keep warm and safe this winter, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 23 January 2026
- Heater fire safety, US Fire Administration
- Portable heaters, Electrical Safety First
- Electric, kerosene and charcoal heaters major winter fire hazards, The Kathmandu Post, 29 December 2022
- NEA Electricity Consumer Tariff Determination 2078, Electricity Regulatory Commission
- Government weighs scrapping VAT on electricity, The Kathmandu Post, 21 September 2026
- Quality Computer website prices, 31 October 2026.