Personal heating and energy use: what can you expect?

When you feel cold, the usual solution is to turn up the thermostat. But that does not just warm you; it heats an entire room. Why heat a whole room more when it is mainly one person who feels cold? That is the idea behind personal heating: heated clothing, a heated chair or a localised heating surface brings warmth closer to the user.

Research shows that such systems can use little electrical power and improve comfort. However, that does not guarantee a lower energy bill. This article explains what has and has not been established.

From room temperature to personal comfort

Central heating aims to keep an entire room at a set temperature. A personal comfort system, often called a Personal Comfort System or personal heating in research, mainly affects the immediate surroundings or body of an individual user. This can help someone feel more comfortable without requiring the same temperature everywhere. It is particularly relevant when people sharing a space have different heating needs.

One study conducted at 15 and 18 °C compared electrically heated clothing with two other local heating methods. In that trial, the clothing used less than 15 watt and improved thermal comfort. This figure relates to the research setup and is not a KingsPower product specification. To learn more about what research says about the comfort provided by heated clothing, read does heated clothing work?

What does the wider research say?

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis brought together 34 publications on personal heating and cooling systems. The researchers concluded that these systems can improve indoor comfort when the surroundings differ from a neutral, comfortable temperature. On average, heating or cooling a larger area of the body had a greater effect.

The devices, buildings and trial setups studied varied considerably. The results therefore cannot be translated directly into a fixed percentage saving for a household or business.

Can you turn down the thermostat?

Energy savings can only arise if personal heating genuinely changes heating behaviour, such as by allowing a lower thermostat setting or fewer heated rooms. The outcome depends on factors including insulation, the type of heating, energy prices, outdoor temperature, duration of use and the number of people present.

Wearing heated clothing while leaving the thermostat unchanged does not automatically save energy. In fact, it adds a small amount of electricity use. The statement “heated clothing always saves energy” is therefore too strong. A more accurate conclusion is that personal heating makes it possible to use warmth in a more targeted way.

One person or five makes a difference

Imagine one person working from home in a relatively large house. Keeping several rooms warm for a single occupant may feel inefficient. Personal heating can then be a useful addition, for example by wearing a heated vest or hoodie and heating only the rooms that are actually in use.

For a household where everyone is at home, that calculation naturally changes.

At work too

The same principle applies in warehouses, workshops, reception areas and other places where keeping an entire space evenly warm is difficult or impractical. Personal heating does not replace the requirements for a safe working environment, but local warmth can contribute to the comfort of individual employees. For outdoor work, read more about working in the cold.

An honest way to approach it

Use personal heating primarily for adjustable comfort. If you also want to influence your energy use, measure your actual consumption and compare similar periods. Keep the temperature, occupancy and weather conditions as consistent as possible.

Conclusion

Research supports the idea that personal heating can provide comfort using limited local power. Whether this produces a net saving in energy or money at home or at work depends on overall heating behaviour. It would therefore be irresponsible to promise a fixed percentage.

The strength of heated clothing is not a promise that central heating will never be needed again, but the control it offers: you carry the warmth with you, choose the setting yourself and adjust it as your surroundings or activity change.

Would you like adjustable personal warmth? Explore heated clothing from KingsPower, including the heated vest and heated hoodie.

Research sources

1. A study of thermal comfort enhancement using three energy-efficient personalized heating strategies at two low indoor temperatures. Building and Environment (2018). DOI 10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.06.049
2. Systematic review and meta-analysis of personal comfort systems. Energy and Buildings (2022). DOI 10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.111747
3. Review of personal conditioning. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (2014). DOI 10.1016/j.rser.2014.03.024

Actual energy savings in a home or business depend on the specific circumstances. The studies cited are not KingsPower product tests.