How much does underfloor heating cost?
Warm water underfloor heating costs as little as £800 for a 20m² room, but price varies by project. It is an affordable heating solution that is around 25% more efficient than radiators, so savings can also be made on heating bills.
How much does underfloor heating cost?
Underfloor heating is a more effective, efficient and eco-friendly alternative to using radiators to heat your home. But how much does underfloor heating cost and how much could you save on your heating bills?
The exact underfloor heating cost per m² will vary depending on the most suitable solution for the property. For example, a standard screed UFH system for a new build project is often cheaper than a retrofit solution where more materials are required.
Underfloor heating costs in a new build
Screed underfloor heating, like ClipTrack®, is a cost-effective heating choice for a new build property that fits neatly into the build schedule. Installation is quick, which helps keep costs to a minimum.
In a typical self-build project (e.g. a detached 3 bedroomed home) with a 100m² floor area, you could expect a bespoke screed UFH system to cost approximately £2800-£3000, or £30m², excluding the screed and installation costs. This would include a unique system design tailored to the property, the highest quality components and unrivalled customer support for the lifetime of the system.
Every project is handled by qualified and experienced UFH experts to ensure the system performs exactly as required.
UFH cost in a renovation
More materials are supplied with retrofit warm water UFH systems (e.g. pre-routed panels or specialist self-levelling compound), so for this reason they tend to cost more than a new build system.
Nu‑Heat’s award-winning LoPro® range avoids the time and expense of digging up floors, making UFH a reality for most properties. It includes everything needed to complete the installation before floor coverings are laid – there is no additional cost of screed, for example.
In a renovation project, like an average Victorian terrace with a downstairs floor area of 60m², a LoPro®10 system with a bespoke design and all the high quality components required would cost in the region of £4000, or £65m², excluding installation.
Installing UFH in one room? Electric underfloor heating kits, like ElectroMat®, cost less than warm water, making them a good option for smaller, single rooms. Be aware that electric UFH running costs are far higher than warm water, meaning it is best avoided for heating large spaces or a whole house.
Cost of installing underfloor heating
Once you have an idea of the system price, you also need to consider the cost of having the system installed by a qualified heating and plumbing engineer.
The cost of installing underfloor heating is difficult to estimate as it varies depending on the area of the UK and the size and type of UFH system being installed. If we consider a new build with a total floor area of 100m² and choose an installer who charges £35 per hour, you could expect the installation to cost roughly £1000.
In straightforward or smaller projects, it is possible to install the fixing system and tube yourself, or have a builder do this, before getting the plumber in to set up the manifold, connect it back to the boiler and commission the system.
The Ultimate Underfloor Heating Buyer’s Guide
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Underfloor heating running costs
One question we get asked a lot is, ‘is underfloor heating expensive to run?’. Here’s some more info on UFH running costs, along with a useful table comparing the running costs of warm water UFH and electric underfloor heating.
Warm water underfloor heating running costs
Warm water underfloor heating is a highly efficient heating system – around 25% more efficient than radiators when paired with a modern condensing boiler and up to 40% more efficient when running from a heat pump (including air source heat pump or ground source heat pumps).
Because of this, running costs are often lower than a traditional radiator system and around a third of an equivalent electric UFH system.
Electric underfloor heating running costs
Electric underfloor heating running costs can be three to four times more than a warm water UFH system, or a radiator system, that is paired with a gas boiler. This is simply because electric tends to cost far more than natural gas per kWh.
Electric UFH is a good option for small spaces, like bathrooms or kitchen refurbs, where it can warm hard floor finishes. It is rarely used to heat an entire property because of the associated running costs.
Underfloor heating running costs: Warm water Vs Electric
| The running costs have been based on a standard electricity price of £0.14 per kWh and a domestic natural gas price of £0.028 per kWh (correct as of March 2019). | |||
