Desii Deals All deals
🌬️

Fan heater or air purifier? What really helps in a German flat in winter

In October every desi WhatsApp group asks the same two things. "Which small heater should I buy?" and "Is a clean air fan worth it?" Both machines look cheap in the shop. One of them can cost you a lot every month. The other does less than people think. Here are the real numbers.

By Maninder, Hamburg · Updated 7 October 2026

Jump to:
💸 Fan heater cost🌬️ Clean air fan🛒 Shopping list
New in Germany? Start with my first winter guide (clothes, heating, kids). Damp walls or black spots? Read mould from Indian cooking. This page only covers the two machines.

The fan heater trap

When the flat feels cold, many families buy a small electric fan heater (Heizlüfter). It feels cheap — €20 in the shop. The bill comes later.

2000 watt heater × 1 hour = 2 kWh
2 kWh × 35 ct = 70 ct per hour
3 hours a day × 30 days = about €63 a month

That is one small heater, in one room. Central heating is almost always cheaper per hour of warmth. If you only need warm feet or a warm bed, a hot water bottle (Wärmflasche) costs nothing to run, and an electric blanket (Heizdecke) uses only a few cents a night.

Want to check your own devices? Use my cooking electricity cost calculator, or plug the device into a small energy meter (Energiekostenmessgerät) for a week. The meter shows you the real number, no guessing.

Clean air fan (air purifier) — worth it or not?

An air purifier (Luftreiniger) is a fan that pulls the room air through a filter. Many people call it a "clean air fan". With windows closed in winter, the air in a small flat gets stale fast, so this question comes up a lot.

✅ What it does well
  • Catches dust, pollen and pet hair with a HEPA filter (look for H13).
  • Helps people with dust or pollen allergies, and small kids' rooms.
  • With an activated carbon filter (Aktivkohle), it reduces some cooking smell.
  • Uses little electricity — roughly 20–50 watt on a normal setting.
❌ What it does not do
  • It does not heat or cool the room.
  • It does not remove damp or stop mould. Only airing and heating do that.
  • It does not bring in fresh air. You still need to open the windows.
  • It will not fully remove a strong tadka smell. Window + cooker hood work better.

🌬️ See air purifier prices

The hidden cost is the filter. Most models need a new filter every 6 to 12 months, and a filter can cost €20–40 or more. Check the filter price before you buy the machine.

Running cost example: 40 watt × 8 hours = 0.32 kWh
0.32 kWh × 35 ct ≈ 11 ct a day ≈ €3.40 a month

How to choose:

CheckWhy
Room size (m²) or CADRA small machine in a big living room does almost nothing. Pick one rated for a bigger room than yours.
HEPA H13 filterCatches the fine dust. "HEPA-type" is weaker.
Activated carbon layerOnly this part helps with smell.
Night / sleep modeFor the bedroom, it must be quiet.
Filter priceYou pay this every year. Cheap machine + expensive filter is a trap.
My honest view: if someone at home has allergies or asthma, or you live on a busy road, a purifier for the bedroom is a good buy. If you just want "fresh air", save your money — open the windows 3–4 times a day, that is free. And skip the fancy 3-in-1 fans that heat, cool and purify. They often cost a few hundred euros, and the heating part uses as much electricity as a normal fan heater.

Shopping list for this page

These are search links, so you see all the options and today's price on Amazon.de. Prices change often, so compare a few before you buy.

Als Amazon-Partner verdiene ich an qualifizierten Verkäufen. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases — you pay nothing extra.

Quick answers

Is an air purifier the same as a fan?

No. A normal fan only moves air around. An air purifier pushes the air through a filter that catches dust and pollen. It does not cool or heat.

Does an air purifier stop mould?

No. Mould comes from damp. Only airing the flat, steady heating and a dry room stop it. See my mould guide.

Is a fan heater cheaper than central heating?

Almost never. A 2000 watt heater costs about 70 cents per hour at 35 ct/kWh. Use it only for short times, or use a hot water bottle or electric blanket instead.

How much electricity does an air purifier use?

Roughly 20–50 watt on a normal setting. At 40 watt for 8 hours a day, that is about €3.40 a month at 35 ct/kWh. The filter usually costs more than the power.

If this helped, send it to one family who is about to buy a heater this winter.

More guides for desi families