As the winter takes over in North India, many users are in a dilemma about whether they should buy a new room heater or a hot and cold AC that can also help them in summers. While both the devices can keep your room warm, they work in very different ways and, most importantly, hit your wallet differently. A room heater turns electricity directly into heat, while an AC moves heat from outside air into the room, allowing it to do more work with less power. Here is a detailed comparison between a room heater and hot and cold AC so that you can invest your money in the right place.
A room heater gives one unit of heat for every unit of power it uses, whereas a hot and cold AC can give about three units of heat for the same power. The difference in efficiency is because the AC pulls warmth from the outside air, while the room heater converts electricity into heat. Do note that some ACs weaken on very cold nights and take a few minutes to warm up while a heater warms the room at once.
Also read: Govt launches 3 homegrown AI models under IndiaAI mission: Here is what they can do
A room heater usually draws 1,000 to 2,000 watts, which means one to two units of electricity every hour. In comparison to that, a hot and cold AC draws about 1,200 to 1,600 watts when warming, but it heats a larger room well.
When talking about the power consumption of the two devices after eight hours, a 2,000 W heater usually burns 16 units, while an AC may use around 8 to 10 units once the room is warm.
If you run a 2,000 W room heater for eight hours at night and the electricity bill is about Rs 7 per unit, then the running cost would be about Rs 112 per night. While the running cost of an AC would be about Rs 56 to Rs 70 for an eight-hour run.
When we consider the price difference between the two for over 90 days, that gap can reach Rs 4,000 or more. The room heaters need almost no care, apart from dusting, while ACs need a yearly service that costs between Rs 500 to Rs 1,500. Other than that, it also needs filter cleaning every few weeks.
Room heaters are cheap to buy, as they cost between Rs 1,000 and Rs 8,000 depending on type. While a hot and cold AC costs more, from about Rs 35,000 to Rs 60,000 for a 1.5 ton model, plus installation charges of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000.