What Are the True Costs of Underfloor Heating?

One of the main reasons that people choose to install underfloor heating is that it is widely considered cheaper to run and install than traditional radiators are.

However, this is not the full picture. You need to account for different types of cost and compare these with your radiator costs. This is the only way to predict accurately how much your system will cost you over the long and short term.

In this article, we are going to explore all the different considerations concerning underfloor heating costs.

Material Costs

The first thing to consider is the cost of the materials for each system. This cost depends on whether you are buying a wet underfloor heating system or an electric underfloor heating system.

Wet under floor heating is more expensive in terms of the material costs, but it's only slightly different. For a 30 m square room, you're looking at around £550 for the wet systems, and around £500 for the electric systems. These prices include the entire kit, e.g., the pumps for the water systems, and the mats and taping for the electric systems.

Installation Costs

The installation costs are where you will see a real difference in price between the two systems. The wet systems are far more expensive to install than the electric systems are. You are looking at around £100 per metre square for the wet systems and £20 per metre square for the electric systems.

However, another money saving option with the electric underfloor heating is that it is possible to install it yourself with just a modicum of DIY knowledge. This means so that might not cost you anything to install an electric underfloor heating system; all you need to pay for are the material costs.

Running Costs

Where electric underfloor heating wins out with material costs and running costs, the wet underfloor heating systems definitely win when it comes to running costs. Wet underfloor heating is far cheaper to run compared to electric underfloor heating.

Electric underfloor heating cost as much as three or four times more than the wet underfloor heating systems do. For this reason, most heating experts recommend using electric underfloor heating only in small rooms that require little heat, such as utility rooms or bedrooms.

Maintenance Costs

Finally, you have the maintenance costs. Fortunately, electric underfloor heating and wet underfloor heating are relatively maintenance free. Once they're down, you can pretty much leave them for a good few years before even having to check on them. If they do encounter problems, they can be quite expensive to fix, as you will need to lift up the floor.

However, problems are relatively rare and as long as you buy a system that has a long guarantee, the maintenance costs are largely irrelevant.

I hope that you now have a good understanding of the underfloor heating costs you are likely to pay if you choose type of home heating.

It is a great choice, but you must account for the financial implications of bringing them into your home.