Outdoor Heater: How to Choose the Right One for a UK Garden

Britain rarely delivers a full evening of dependable warmth, even in summer. An outdoor heater is useful precisely because it can take the edge off a chilly patio without trying to turn the whole garden into a heated room. That distinction matters: most models provide localised warmth for people sitting nearby, not blanket heat across an open lawn.

For many UK patios, an electric infrared or halogen heater is the most straightforward starting point. It heats quickly, needs no gas bottle and can be switched off as soon as everyone goes indoors. Gas remains useful where there is no convenient socket or where a freestanding heater needs to move around a larger terrace. The sections below explain the trade-offs so you can choose on the basis of how your garden actually works.

Outdoor Heater Types: The Useful Differences

Searches for an outdoor heater cover several products. The three choices most homeowners will compare are electric radiant heaters, LPG gas patio heaters and solid-fuel alternatives such as chimineas or fire pits.

Type	How it heats	Best suited to	Main limitation
Electric infrared or halogen	Radiant heat warms people and surfaces in its line of sight.	A patio, balcony or defined seating zone near a suitable socket.	Needs a safe power supply and warmth falls away outside the heated area.
LPG gas	A burner produces radiant heat and warms some surrounding air.	Large, open terraces where portability matters more than convenience.	Fuel storage, ventilation, wind and cylinder changes add work.
Chiminea or fire pit	Burning wood creates radiant heat, flame and smoke.	Occasional gatherings where atmosphere matters as much as warmth.	Smoke, ash, sparks and local restrictions make it less predictable.

Electric patio heaters: the practical default

Electric models are often wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, freestanding or designed for a table. They are particularly good at heating a single zone: a pair of chairs outside the kitchen, a dining table or a sofa beneath a pergola.

Many use a halogen, quartz or tungsten element. These terms are not perfectly consistent across product listings, but they generally describe shortwave infrared heaters that glow or become very hot and deliver warmth quickly. A more enclosed infrared element may look less dramatic but can be better suited to a permanent installation. Compare the manufacturer’s stated output, mounting height and clearance requirements rather than choosing by the label alone.

The main advantage is control. There is no cylinder to fetch, no flame to monitor and no reason to heat the patio once the last guest has left. A model with two power settings or a timer can be more useful than a bigger heater that is always run at full output.

Gas Outdoor Heaters: When Portability Wins

Most domestic gas patio heaters use LPG from a cylinder. A freestanding mushroom-style model can sit at the end of a garden or beside a table without a cable running across the patio. That freedom is valuable on a large terrace or in a garden where an outdoor electrical supply would be expensive to add.

The drawbacks are easy to underestimate. Gas heaters need an upright, stable position, a correctly specified cylinder and generous clearance around the burner. Wind reduces the comfort you feel and can affect the flame. You also need somewhere suitable to store the cylinder and a plan for refills. A gas model is not a sensible way to heat a conservatory, gazebo, tent or enclosed seating area.

If the appliance is permanently connected, altered or serviced as gas work, use a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer and follow the heater manufacturer’s instructions. For a portable unit, the same principle still applies: do not improvise connections or use a bottle type that the appliance does not specify.

Short answer: Choose electric for a convenient, focused seating area with power nearby. Choose LPG gas when moving the heater matters and the space is genuinely open. Choose a fire pit or chiminea for flame and atmosphere, not as a precise heating system.

Electric Versus Gas: Which is cheaper to run?

There is no honest single figure for an outdoor heater’s running cost. Electricity prices vary by tariff, while gas costs depend on cylinder size, refill price, burner output and how long the bottle lasts. Your garden’s wind exposure also changes how much useful warmth you get from each hour of fuel.

For an electric heater, the calculation is simple:

Power in kW x your electricity unit rate = cost per hour.

At a 30p per kWh electricity rate, a 2kW heater costs 60p per hour when operating continuously at full power. A 1.5kW model costs 45p per hour on the same tariff. If a thermostat, timer or lower setting means it is energised only half the time, the real cost is lower. Replace 30p with the unit rate shown on your own bill; standing charges do not belong in this hourly calculation.

Gas needs a different calculation based on the usable energy in the cylinder and the appliance’s consumption. Retailers sometimes quote an attractive hourly estimate without saying which refill price or output they used. Treat those figures as examples, not promises. The useful comparison is how much heat reaches your seating area for the money, not the headline output alone.

How much power do you need?

Do not size a heater by the total square metres of an uncovered garden. Open-air heat is quickly carried away by wind, and a manufacturer’s coverage figure will depend on mounting height, temperature and shelter. Size the heater for the people and furniture you want to use first.

Use	Starting point	What to check
Tabletop or close-range warmth	About 600W to 1,200W	That the unit is designed for table use and has safe clearances from furniture.
One small seating zone	About 1.5kW to 2kW	Whether the beam reaches the chairs rather than the back of the wall.
Long table or larger terrace	Two correctly positioned units can work better than one powerful unit.	Separate circuits, cable routes, mounting height and the manufacturer’s spacing guidance.

These are starting points, not guarantees. A sheltered patio beneath a roofed structure may feel comfortable with less output than a windy, exposed terrace. If people keep moving their chairs closer to the heater, the layout is probably wrong even if the wattage looks impressive on paper.

Where to position an outdoor heater

Position is as important as power. Start with the seating plan, then place the heater so its warmth falls across people rather than into empty space.

• Keep the heater on a level, stable surface, or use the specified wall or ceiling fixing.
• Leave every clearance stated in the manual, including the space above and below the unit.
• Use a sheltered spot to reduce wind, but never turn a gas heater into an enclosed appliance.
• Keep cables along the edge of the route and out of walking lines; do not hide a cable beneath a rug unless the manufacturer specifically permits it.
• For a pergola or covered patio, confirm that the heater is approved for that setting and that the structure’s fabric, roof and plants are outside the required clearance.

A heater often works best at the edge of a seating area, angled across the group. Mounting it too high can spread warmth beyond the people below; mounting it too close can create an uncomfortable hot spot and breach the product’s clearance requirements.

If you are building the setting around a new structure, our guide to pergola ideas for UK gardens covers layout, roofing and lighting. For a simpler evening upgrade, see these outdoor lighting ideas; warm layered lighting makes a patio feel welcoming without asking the heater to do all the work.

Outdoor heater safety: the non-negotiables

Heat, electricity, fuel and fabric do not make a forgiving combination. Read the manual before installation, keep the original clearance diagram and resist the temptation to improvise because a patio is short on space.

For electric heaters

• Use a suitable outdoor socket protected by an RCD. Electrical Safety First’s patio-heater advice recommends a splashproof or waterproof outdoor socket, rated IP44 or higher.
• Do not use an extension lead as a workaround for a heater that cannot reach the socket. If the supply is not suitable, ask a qualified electrician about the installation.
• Buy from a reputable retailer, check for the correct UK plug and fuse, and register the product for recall notices where the manufacturer offers registration.
• Keep the element, plug and cable away from pooled water. Never cover the heater while it is operating or move it until it has cooled completely.
• Stop using it if the plug is hot, the cable is damaged, the socket shows burn marks or the circuit keeps tripping.

For gas heaters

• Use the heater outside in genuinely open air. Never use it indoors, in a tent or marquee, or in an enclosed room where combustion gases can build up.
• Keep the cylinder upright, away from direct heat, and use only the size and type specified by the appliance.
• Keep the base stable and do not move the heater while it is lit or still hot.
• Keep awnings, umbrellas, curtains, climbing plants and other combustible materials outside the stated clearance.
• If you smell gas, turn the appliance off if it is safe to do so, move away from the area and follow the supplier’s emergency guidance. Do not investigate a suspected leak with a naked flame.

The Health and Safety Executive’s domestic gas guidance is a useful reference for ventilation, unsafe appliances and finding appropriately qualified help. Product instructions remain the first point of reference because clearance distances and fuel arrangements differ between models.

Features worth paying for

A high price does not automatically mean better warmth. Spend money on the details that improve safe, repeatable use:

• Two or more heat settings: useful in the shoulder seasons when full power is excessive.
• A timer or remote control: helpful when the heater is mounted high, but never a substitute for switching it off when leaving.
• A stable base or secure fixing: particularly important in exposed gardens. Wheels are convenient only if the base still locks firmly in place.
• Replaceable parts and a clear warranty: ask whether the element, reflector, hose or regulator can be replaced rather than treating the whole heater as disposable.
• A sensible cable length: a longer, correctly rated factory cable is preferable to creating a hazardous cable route with adapters.
• Low-glare design: bright orange light may be part of the appeal of a halogen element, but it can be distracting over a dining table.

For a heater that will sit beside furniture, look at the whole arrangement rather than the appliance in isolation. Our Guide to garden furniture for UK weather covers stable layouts, clearance around tables and the storage that protects outdoor textiles.

How to make the heat feel more effective

The most efficient heater is one that warms the right people for the shortest useful time. A few layout changes usually achieve more than buying a larger model.

• Put seating close together so one radiant beam reaches the group.
• Use a wall, hedge or open-sided pergola to reduce wind without blocking the required ventilation.
• Heat the table or chairs only shortly before use, then lower the setting once everyone is comfortable.
• Choose cushions and throws that stay dry; damp fabric makes an evening feel colder even when the heater is working.
• Use warm, low-level garden lighting for atmosphere and visibility, rather than increasing heater output to make the patio feel brighter.

Good underfoot surfaces also make a seating area more usable. If you are redesigning the patio, our guide to UK decking ideas explains the practical differences between timber and composite. For a garden intended to stay manageable, these low-maintenance garden ideas are a useful companion read.

Storage and maintenance

Outdoor does not mean indestructible. Before winter, clean the heater as directed, disconnect it and store removable parts in a dry place. An electric heater may be able to remain mounted if its instructions allow it, but the plug and controls still need protection from weather. A cover should go on only after the unit is fully cool and switched off.

For gas, close the appliance and cylinder controls according to the manual, then store the cylinder exactly as the gas supplier recommends. Inspect hoses, regulators and seals before the next season; replace any part that is cracked, perished or outside its service life. Do not paint over vents or modify the burner housing.

Outdoor furniture and heater storage often need to work together. A dry box for cushions, clear walking routes and a protected charging or socket area will make the patio easier to use than a heater left in the middle of it all year.

When an outdoor heater is the wrong solution

A heater is a poor purchase if you want to warm an entire garden, keep an enclosed room at a steady temperature or sit outside in strong wind regardless of the weather. A sheltered seating zone, a roof that does not compromise ventilation, warm layers and a shorter evening often deliver more comfort than a high-output appliance.

Think about the reason for buying. If the priority is a flame and a focal point, a fire pit may suit you better, provided local smoke rules, neighbours and safe clearances are considered. If the priority is quiet, instant warmth for two chairs, a compact electric infrared unit is more precise. If the priority is moving heat around a large open terrace, gas may justify its extra handling.

Conclusion

Start with the seating area, not the largest heater you can find. For most UK homes, an electric infrared or halogen model with adjustable output is the least complicated route to useful warmth. Choose gas when portability genuinely solves a problem, not because a tall burner looks more powerful in a product photograph. Whichever fuel you choose, stable placement, clear space, correct connections and a dry storage plan are what turn an outdoor heater into a feature you will use rather than another appliance to work around.

Frequently Asked Questions