Portable Heaters

University policy is that the use of portable heaters that have not been approved by the Dept of Estates is forbidden.

This is for several reasons:

•  The vast majority of buildings have heating systems with sophisticated controls provided by a centralised Building Management System (BMS). These can be rendered ineffective by the presence of additional heaters unconnected to the main system as this will fool the controls and potentially stop heat being supplied to the whole building. They will also destroy the ‘self-learning' memory of the control systems that learn over time how the building performs.

•  Electric heaters are a highly inefficient and very expensive way of heating.

•  Because they use electricity their carbon impact is much greater than normal gas central heating systems.

•  They are potentially unsafe, both as a fire hazard and in terms of overloading electrical circuits.

•  All portable electrical equipment must be PAT – tested for electrical safety every year via the Dept of Estates. This is a legal requirement and is chargeable to the department concerned.

•  They prevent the root causes of problems from being properly investigated and dealt with. This is clearly not in the interests of building users as solving the underlying issues will result in more comfortable buildings for all concerned.

Please do not use a portable heater!

If you consider your room to be too cold, please contact the Department of Estates via the Estates Helpdesk Green Button. The maintenance teams will investigate whether the heating systems are functioning correctly. They may arrange for the temperature of the room(s) in question to be monitored and readings will be taken to assess the level of problem. When the data has been collated, if repairs or alterations are needed, these will be actioned.

If you would like further information, please contact the Helpdesk.