As written there is no such thing as a more effective heater that consumes less than another with the same wattage. I made a bargain and found a 2kW Mills that is silent, has an electronic thermostat (mechanical ones tends to drift over time) and keeps the garage warm. But still pain in the ass having that kind of expensive heat source.
In our cottage/torp I have a couple of non-oil/toaster-style convector heaters. There I like that the heat output is basically zero when turned off. CN be annoying during spring and autumn that an oil filled one keeps giving off heat when there’s direct sunlight on and off.