Table of contents
Updated – January 18, 2026
Heating with gas is standard in mobile homes, as well as in caravans. If you are traveling abroad, you should go to an appropriate one Gas bottle adapter set think because the local gas bottles are not always compatible with foreign filling stations, pressure regulators, etc.
Motorhomes may have a combination of gas and electric heating, or even a diesel additional heater.
This raises the question, which type of heating is the most economical?
The comparison is relatively simple. An 11 kg gas cylinder contains approximately 141 kWh of energy, taking into account the propane/butane mixture. Assuming a cost of about 26.07 EUR for 11 kg of gas, the kWh costs 0.1845 EUR.
Electricity is currently around an average of 0.297 Euros (Germany – as of January 2016) per kWh.
Diesel contains 9.7 kWh per liter. At a price of, for example, 1.687 Euros per liter (Germany – as of 01/2016), the kWh costs 0.174 Euros.
- Diesel – €0.174/kWh (cheapest option)
- Gas – 0.1845 €/kWh (about 61% more expensive)
- Electricity – €0.297/kWh (about 71% more expensive than diesel)
Diesel additional heater
The installation of a diesel additional heater costs between 2,000 and 3,800 euros, depending on the version. Assuming a usage period of 210 days (which, given normal motorhome use, may represent the entire life of a motorhome), there would be a saving of 500 euros compared to gas heating.
For economic reasons alone, there is no reason to install an additional diesel heater. It only becomes more important in cold areas, especially when extremely sub-zero temperatures prevail. A diesel filling station is much more common than an exchange or filling station for gas bottles. This is the real reason for considering one Install diesel additional heater allow.
China Diesel Heater
VEVOR diesel air heaters cost a fraction of the well-known WEBASTO or EBERSPÄCHER air heaters. Whether the quality lasts as long as the aforementioned competitor products remains to be seen.
The installation is relatively easy, the heating output is considerable, and the operating comfort is on par with more expensive products. Therefore, this is a worthwhile option to consider!
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I have a permanently installed gas tank in my mobile home, and that means further problems: On the one hand, you have to pay attention to a suitable propane-butane gas mixture in winter, because LPG filling stations usually only offer 60/40 mixtures, but since butane remains liquid at around 0 degrees Celsius, it is unsuitable for heating. A 95/5 mixture would be ideal, but at least in Germany it is difficult to find out at most filling stations, and it is only very rarely indicated.
The gas heating system died a few weeks ago, so I'm glad I had a Chinese diesel heater installed for much less money. Nevertheless, heating with it feels about 4 times as expensive, because otherwise a gas tank (70l) was enough for about a month, and at the moment I have to trudge to the gas station every 2-3 days to fill a 10l canister.
So, at least according to my practical experience from Germany in the winter of 2026.
Thank you for the practical contribution! I have updated the prices for gas, diesel, and electricity to today's values. The price comparison refers to the energy stored in diesel or gas, respectively, allowing for a comparison of 1 kWh of heating energy across all operating resources.
An ALDE 3030 gas-water heater consumes, for example, on Stage 1, 3.3 kW (propane) / 3.8 kW (butane), or Stage 2 (maximum): 5.5 kW (propane) / 6.4 kW (butane).
A WEBASTO EVO 5 diesel auxiliary water heater consumes approximately 0.31 – 0.62 liters/h at partial load (2.5–2.8 kW) and 0.62 liters/h at full load (5 kW).
Based on these consumption data, the ratio expressed in the article emerges:
Diesel – €0.174/kWh (cheapest option)
Natural gas – 0.1845 €/kWh (about 61% more expensive)
Electricity – €0.297/kWh (about 71% more expensive than diesel)