A cold snap has hit the eastern coast of Australia this week and many households are being faced with the tough choice of increasing their energy bills or shivering through the nights.

Those looking to strike the balance and save some money will want to consider upgrading any old heaters, because newer models are typically more energy efficient than older ones.

But it’s not straightforward either, with a mix of technologies to choose from and individual factors to consider like the size of your home and which spaces you’re looking to have heated.

Identifying energy efficiency

Thankfully, Australia has a standardised energy efficiency regime run by the government, which makes the process of understanding what product will work best for you much easier.

The first step is to visit the Energy Ratings Calculator, which has thousands of heaters listed and tested based on their efficiency and suitability for different households across the nation.

The types include fan heaters, gas heaters, reverse-cycle conditioners and ceramic heaters.

In most cases you will find the options that deliver the best energy efficiency also come with the highest installation costs – particularly if you’re trying to heat a large area for multiple people.

Source: Energyrating.gov.au

But if you’re just looking to heat one room for a single person, then smaller heaters can do the job at a lower total energy cost, even if they’re less efficient in aggregate than installed systems.

Shoot for the highest energy rating possible for the heater that suits you best, keeping in mind that the energy ratings system actually differs based on the state or territory you’re living in.

Your surrounding climate will also influence the type of heater you want; if you’re living in southern Victoria, for example, a higher powered system could be better than in Queensland.

Gas or electricity?

Gas heaters are being phased out in some areas, so buying one isn’t always possible, even if it might offer better energy efficiency in the short term than an electric option.

You also need to consider the difference between electricity and gas prices in your area because there can be a big difference that could add up to hundreds of dollars a year on your heating bill.

If you’re paying less for electricity than gas, particularly if you have solar panels on your home, then an electric heater could have far cheaper running costs than a legacy gas heating system.

But if your home already has gas heating installed, then switching to electric could come with additional upfront costs, particularly if you plan to install it throughout your entire property.

A middle-ground solution could be testing a portable electric heater or a smaller reverse-cycle one first if you aren’t able to make room in your budget for a bigger house-wide heating system.

Features you want

Whatever decision you make, there are a few must-have features you’re going to want to maximise your savings.

The first is a reliable timer you can set on or within the heater to dictate not just when it turns on, but for how long.

This is important because one of the biggest money wasters is overheating the space you’re in.

Secondly, invest in a system with an inbuilt temperature gauge that can optimise its energy use around a desired temperature; that way you can stay cosy without needing to run it at full blast.