The Comparison Framework

I'm a procurement manager at a 45-person facilities maintenance company. I've tracked roughly $180,000 in heating and HVAC spending over the last six years, and I now use a total cost of ownership (TCO) spreadsheet before any purchase. This article compares two very different ways to heat a space: a fixed Dimplex electric heater and a portable Buddy Heater. They're not direct substitutes in every situation, but they're often treated like they are.

Here's the framework I used: purchase price, operating cost, installation and ventilation, maintenance and repairs, control compatibility, and the comfort side of heating—including the humidifier vs dehumidifier issue. I don't rely on spec sheets alone. A budget purchase that ignores the cost of fuel and installation can easily create a $1,200 rework later.

Purchase Price vs. Operating Cost

Online retail pricing, checked in February 2025, puts a basic Dimplex panel heater at roughly $200 to $350, depending on wattage and controls. A Buddy Heater is around $90 to $130. I won't pretend the Dimplex is cheaper at the register. But that's only the first line of the TCO.

Electricity in my area runs about $0.14 per kWh. A 1,500W Dimplex heater uses 1.5 kW, so it costs about $0.21 per hour to run and produces roughly 5,100 BTU per hour. A Buddy Heater running on a 1-lb propane cylinder that costs $4 will burn through that cylinder in about 2.5 hours on high, making the fuel cost around $1.60 per hour. To deliver the same 9,000 BTU output with electric resistance heat, you'd need about 2.6 kW, which is roughly $0.37 per hour. Over 500 hours of use, the electric equivalent costs about $185. The Buddy Heater costs around $800 in 1-lb cylinders.

Take these prices with a grain of salt; electricity and propane rates change, and your local numbers will be different. But the ratio is the point. Propane is a high-cost fuel when you buy it in 1-lb cylinders, and that kind of changes the whole TCO story.

Installation and Ventilation: The Hidden Line Items

What most people don't realize is that a low-oxygen shutoff doesn't make a propane heater safe to run in a closed break room all day. A Buddy Heater still needs fresh air, which in practice means ventilation. In a commercial setting, a cracked window during winter defeats the whole purpose of heating the space.

Dimplex installations are not always free either. A fixed electric heater may need a dedicated circuit. If your electrical panel has no spare slot, budget $200 to $500 for an electrician. That's a real cost. But it's a one-time cost, and it makes the heater eligible for better controls.

If you ask me, this is where a lot of purchasing mistakes happen. People see the lower purchase price, ignore ventilation, and forget to add three years of fuel. That's the outsider blind spot in every heating comparison.

Reliability and Repair: The 'Dimplex Heater Not Working' Issue

No heater is maintenance-free. Search for dimplex heater not working and you'll see common issues: a tripped thermal cut-out, a dusty fan, a thermostat in frost mode, or a breaker tripped by another appliance on the same circuit. Most of those are 10-minute fixes if you have the manual. Because Dimplex is part of Glen Dimplex Thermal Solutions, you can get genuine replacement parts and technical documentation. We replaced a fan motor on one of our units, and the part arrived in about a week.

A Buddy Heater with a faulty regulator or a cracked ceramic tile is a different story. I wouldn't repair one in a commercial setting. It's a $100 replacement, and the liability isn't worth it. That's not a knock on the product—it's a reality of buying combustion equipment for a crew.

Controls and Smart Thermostat Compatibility

The control difference is huge. Dimplex offers programmable and smart heating controls, including models with energy monitors and scheduling. That lets you set a space to 68°F from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and drop it to an unoccupied temperature overnight. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's thermostat guidance (energy.gov, accessed February 2025), you can save up to 10% a year on heating by setting the thermostat back 7–10°F for 8 hours. A gas valve on a Buddy Heater can't do that.

One compatibility warning I learned the hard way: if you want to use a Google Nest thermostat, don't assume it will work with a Dimplex baseboard or panel heater. Most electric heaters use line-voltage controls; Nest is designed for low-voltage HVAC systems. You may need a relay or a different line-voltage thermostat. Check the specs before you buy, or you'll pay an electrician twice.

Humidity: The Humidifier vs Dehumidifier Piece of the Puzzle

This is the dimension most buyers ignore. Heating and humidity are connected. In a heated office in winter, the air gets dry, and people start asking whether a humidifier or dehumidifier is the fix. For an occupied office, a humidifier can reduce static and make the air feel warmer at a lower thermostat setting. For a damp storage room, a dehumidifier is usually the better first purchase before you spend money on heat. Moisture in walls and air makes the space feel colder and increases heat loss, so a dehumidifier can improve the performance of both a Dimplex heater and your existing HVAC system.

Dimplex sells dehumidifiers too. That matters if you're managing a TCO: fewer vendors, simpler invoices, and one parts relationship. It's not the main reason to choose a heater, but it helps.

Bottom Line: Which One Should You Buy?

The answer depends on the duty cycle, not the sticker price. If you need permanent, controllable heat for an occupied space, I'd choose a Dimplex electric heater. It costs more upfront, but the TCO is lower, the controls are better, and Glen Dimplex Thermal Solutions gives you a real support channel. For overnight occupied spaces, it's a no-brainer in my book.

If you need temporary spot heat for a loading dock, a construction site, or an emergency outage, a Buddy Heater is a practical tool. I keep one in a trailer for exactly that. Just treat it as a temporary solution, not a replacement for installed heating. And never use any propane heater in an enclosed space without reading the safety instructions.

Honestly, the worst purchase is the one made on unit price alone. If a quote doesn't include fuel, installation, controls, maintenance, and the cost of being wrong, that's a red flag. Use a TCO calculator, verify current prices, and buy for the long-term load.