Electric Towel Rails - WiFi & Standard Models

A typical 150W electric towel rail costs around 3-4p per hour to run at current UK electricity rates (approximately 24.5p/kWh). That works out to roughly £2 per month if you run it for 2 hours a day. Smaller 100W models cost from just 2p per hour. Using a thermostatic element means the rail only draws power when it needs to heat up — not constantly — which keeps real-world costs even lower.

Our electric towel rails come pre-filled and ready to install. You can mount the towel rail yourself using the included wall brackets — it's the same as hanging a shelf. However, you do need a qualified electrician to wire it to a fused spur connection (a dedicated 13A switched outlet). This is a legal requirement under UK Building Regulations Part P. The wiring work typically takes an electrician 30-60 minutes and costs £50-£100.

An electric towel rail will provide supplementary warmth in a small bathroom. A 150W model can raise the temperature by 2-4°C in a small en-suite (4-6m²). However, they're primarily designed for warming and drying towels rather than being the sole heat source for an entire room. For primary bathroom heating, choose a larger 300W+ model or pair your towel rail with a dedicated electric panel heater. Read our full guide: Can an Electric Towel Rail Heat Your Bathroom?

Electric towel rails have a built-in heating element and are filled with thermal fluid. They work completely independently of your boiler — plug them in and they heat up on their own, summer or winter. Central heating towel rails connect to your boiler via hot water pipes and only produce heat when your central heating is running. Electric is the better choice if you want warm towels year-round, have no nearby plumbing, or want a simpler installation. See our comparison: Electric vs Dual Fuel vs Central Heating

Match the rail size to your bathroom: small en-suite (up to 4m²) — 800 x 500mm with 100-150W element. Standard bathroom (4-8m²) — 1000 x 500mm with 200-300W. Large family bathroom (8m²+) — 1200 x 600mm with 300W+. The key rule is to match the element wattage to the rail's BTU output (divide BTU by 3.412 to get watts). An oversized element won't make the rail hotter — it wastes energy. Our Element Sizing Guide walks you through the calculation.

Yes — electric towel rails with thermostatic controls are designed to be left on. The thermostat cycles the heating element on and off to maintain your chosen temperature, so it doesn't consume power constantly. However, for the best energy efficiency, we recommend using a timer to run it for 1-2 hours before and during your shower routine. Our WiFi fused spur timers let you schedule heating from your phone and even set different schedules for weekdays and weekends.

LOT20 (also called ErP Lot 20) is a UK and European energy regulation for electric heating products. It requires electric towel rails and heaters to include energy-saving features: an electronic thermostat, a 7-day programmable timer, open window detection, and adaptive start. LOT20-compliant models can reduce electricity usage by up to 30% compared to basic on/off models. Our thermostatic (ER-Touch) and WiFi (ER-WiFi) ranges both meet LOT20 requirements.

Electric towel rails are standalone — ideal for bathrooms without central heating pipes. They're simpler to install (no plumbing) and work independently year-round. Dual fuel towel rails connect to your central heating AND include an electric element for summer use. In winter they run from your boiler (cheaper than electricity). In summer, switch to the electric element for warm towels without firing up the boiler. Choose electric for simplicity, new builds, or no nearby pipes. Choose dual fuel if you already have radiator pipes and want the lowest running costs. See our full comparison: Electric vs Dual Fuel vs Central Heating