Electric shower buying guide

An electric shower can be a great choice if you are looking for a low cost option that's easy to fit.

In this expert buying guide, we'll explain what electric showers are and how they differ to electric power showers, before showing you the best electric showers for your specific needs.

Click on any of the links below to jump to the relevant section:

What is an electric shower?

An electric shower works as a self-contained unit, heating and pumping the water as it’s used. This means it only needs to be connected to a cold water supply. This makes it a more energy efficient option as it doesn’t need to draw from a boiler, so no hot water is wasted.

By contrast, a standard shower draws from both hot and cold water supplies, and the strength of your shower depends on the water pressure of your home.

We only work with the best electric shower manufacturers such as Mira Showers, Triton, Bristan and Aqualisa, to ensure you get a high quality product that works both efficiently and effectively.

The Mira Azora, with its frosted glass fascia, goes to prove that electric showers can look stylish

How do electric showers work?

An electric shower heats water in a similar way to a household kettle. Some of the cold water that enters the unit is sent to a small container where it is very quickly heated—the part that’s like a very small but powerful kettle. This hot water is then fed back into the stream of cold water via a thermostatic valve, maintaining a constant temperature. You control this valve via the temperature dial on the outside of the unit.

This means one of the advantages of an electric shower is that it can avoid those unpleasant moments when someone turns on a hot tap or flushes a toilet elsewhere in the house and you’re drenched with boiling hot or freezing cold water.

All the electric showers at Victoria Plum come with thermostatic controls to avoid this problem, making for a safer and more comfortable showering experience.

The Aqualisa quartz electric shower features simple controls and intelligent heat settings

Do I need an electric shower?

Electric showers are most useful for quickly and easily installing an ensuite or downstairs shower room. If you’re refitting a main bathroom or existing ensuite, chances are you won’t need an electrical shower if your home has sufficient water pressure, and a standard shower was fitted previously.

Adding extra bathrooms or shower rooms can be tricky if there’s no existing plumbing. It’s usually much easier to just add a cold water supply to enable you to use an electric shower instead.

Electric showers usually come in a range of power options—from 8.5kw to 10.5kw—so if you want a hotter, stronger shower, choose the highest wattage.

The Triton Aspirante electric shower comes with unique Swivel-Fit™ technology and multiple entry points for easy installation

The differences between an electric shower and an electric power shower

When choosing an electric shower, it is always important to know the difference between a regular electric shower and an electric power shower. Whilst they might look very similar, an electric power shower requires both hot and cold water feeds and has a built-in pump which helps to boost your flow.

A regular electric shower on the left and an electric power shower on the right

Find out more about the differences between an electric shower and an electric power shower in our guide.

How to install an electric shower

Electrical shower installation should always be carried out by a professional, as they need to be safely hooked up to a water supply as well as your home’s mains electricity. An electric shower also needs to be connected to a separate ceiling-mounted switch to turn it off and on for added safety.

Handy hint: Find out which type of tradesperson is best to fit your electric shower.

Well-designed electric showers can make things easier for fitting, such as flexible water inlets to accommodate left or right hand pipe connections.

As with all riser rail shower kits, keep in mind who will be using it when you install it. You should make sure the shower head will be high enough for the tallest person in your household using it, or low enough for children to use.

With the Bristan Bliss electric shower, Warm up mode makes cold starts a thing of the past

The best electric shower brands

We only stock the very best electric shower brands, which include the following:

If you're specifically looking to purchase an electric shower by Mira Showers, check out the Mira Showers electric shower buying guide for more specific advice.

Some of our most popular electric showers

To help you choose the right electric shower for your specific needs, take a look at just some of our most popular models.

Mira Sport electric shower

The Mira Sport electric shower offers exceptional performance and safety with:

Individual dials for flow and temperature allow you to tailor your shower to perfection
A phased shutdown flushes hot water out of the tank to ensure it is safe for the next user
Sensi-flo™ technology helps to reduce the risk of accidental scalding, should any of the shower become blocked
Mira Clearscale™ technology, helps reduce build up of limescale by up to 50% for a better performing, longer-lasting shower

The Mira Sport electric shower is one of our bestselling models

As well as the standard design, the Mira Sport electric shower is available in a selection of models, including a thermostatic option, Multi-fit option (with 4 entry points for retrofitting) and the Mira Sport Max which is one of the most powerful electric showers, thanks to clever Airboost™ technology.

Mira Jump electric shower

The Mira Jump shower will certainly put a spring in your step every morning! Quick and easy to fit with mutliple water and electrical entry points, the Mira Jump shower comes with the following great features:

Pressure stabilised temperature control
Mira Clearscale™ technology, helps reduce build up of limescale by up to 50% for a better performing, longer-lasting shower
Rub-clean nozzles help with cleaning
4 function shower head for a personalised experience

The most powerful electric shower from the Mira Jump shower range is 10.8kW

Electric showers for Independent Living

If you have restricted mobility, due to old age or a disability, AKW produce a range of easy-to-use electric showers, designed with Independent Living in mind.

From the AKW iSure, with its large and very simple dial controls, to the more sophisticated AKW iCare which can be controlled by a carer from outside the room using a smartphone app, AKW offer the best electric showers for independent living, with quick and easy installation, plus 8 water and electric entry points.

The AKW iCare electric shower helps maintain independence in the following ways:

Thermostatic temperature control means safe showering with no risk of scalding
Easy to use push button controls are optimised for visual and hearing impairment
Optional Bluetooth Smart wireless remote control (available separately) allows carers to operate from outside the room
Friends or relatives can control and monitor usage via AKW iShower app for iPhone
Long 2m easy clean hose for carer use
A 150kg load-bearing rail which doubles as a grab rail
Raised tactile symbols, audible adjustment indicators and illuminated LED indicators for those with visual and hearing impairment
Can be connected wirelessly to AKW Digipump waste pumps (available separately)