Electric Underfloor Heating Cost Guide for 2023

Electric underfloor heating is a fantastic option for heating your home. It means that you don’t have to have radiators and the floor will feel lovely and warm underfoot. The average cost for installing electric underfloor heating in an 11m2 room (around the size of a medium kitchen) is around £1,000, but we’ll go into the specifics in this guide.

Electric underfloor heating costs

There are two different types of underfloor heating: electric underfloor heating, sometimes called dry underfloor heating, and water underfloor heating, often called wet underfloor heating. We’ll only focus on dry underfloor heating in this guide, but here are the average costs for both so you can compare:

Type of underfloor heating	Average cost per square meter
Electric underfloor heating in a new build	£65
Retrofitted electric underfloor heating	£85
Wet underfloor heating in a new build	£128
Retrofitted wet underfloor heating	£160

HaMuch has a large database of hourly and daily rates for electric underfloor heating based on your location, so make sure you take a look at those costs too. The best thing to do is to get in touch with a few electric underfloor heating companies to get an accurate price.

What is electric underfloor heating?

Electric underfloor heating, or ‘dry’ underfloor heating, uses wires underneath your floor to heat your home. It usually comes in mats made up of wiring that can be laid under your floor, but you can also get loose wiring to fit in small or difficult-to-reach areas. 

Electric underfloor heating is generally easier to install than wet underfloor heating (that involves laying pipes under your floor), so it’s also cheaper to have installed. Electric underfloor heating obviously runs off your electricity supply, whereas wet underfloor heating is usually connected to your boiler or a heat pump.

Types of electric underfloor heating

Heating mats

Underfloor heating mats are perfect for installing under stone or tiled floors as they retain heat well. The mats have the wiring already fitted to them, spaced evenly, so they work well for regular-shaped rooms. 

To reduce energy costs and reach optimal warmth in less time, it’s best to invest in a higher wattage mat. When laid on a well-insulated concrete floor, the heat will move upwards and minimise heat loss.

Loose fit wires

Loose fit wires are ideal for irregular-shaped rooms or in bathrooms where there is a large bathtub to work around. It gives the installer flexibility that mats can’t provide, and can actually work out cheaper for large rooms.

Installers simply have to fit the cables around bathtubs or floor-mounted appliances rather than having to spend time removing wires from mats.

Foil film underfloor heating

Foil film is ideal for dry rooms (not kitchens or bathrooms) and is best for laying under wooden, parquet and laminate floors. 

When laid on top of concrete or chipboard, this type of electric underfloor heating can be very efficient. To maximise the benefits, it can be placed under a layer of insulation to help with heat transfer. 

Your underfloor heating installer will be able to tell you which type of electric underfloor heating is best for you. Make sure you know what type of floor you want to have laid on top and whether there are any obstructions, so the specialist can give you the most accurate price.

Is it expensive to run electric underfloor heating?

Electric underfloor heating is generally more expensive than gas central heating because electricity costs more than gas. However, you don’t need to whack the thermostat up with underfloor heating like you do with gas heating, as it works at a lower temperature, so you may find that you make some savings there.

The other way to make electric underfloor heating more affordable is to power it with solar electricity. Solar panels normally sit on your roof and generate electricity from daylight, giving you free electricity that you can use to power your underfloor heating.

Is electric underfloor heating cheaper than radiators?

As of March 2023, electricity is about 4 times the cost per unit than gas, so in general electric underfloor heating is not cheaper than using radiators that are connected to gas. However, if you have electric radiators, it’s very likely that electric underfloor heating will be cheaper, as underfloor heating operates at a lower temperature. It also distributes heating across your home evenly, which electric radiators can’t do, so you won’t have to have the heating on as long to feel warm.

Can you leave electric underfloor heating on all the time?

Yes - you can leave electric underfloor heating on all the time, and in fact it’s encouraged! By leaving your underfloor heating on all the time during the winter, you’ll increase the system’s efficiency. Instead of turning it off and having to wait for it to heat up, it will be at a constant comfortable temperature.

Is electric floor heating worth it?

We think electric underfloor heating is definitely worth it, especially if you are building your property or are undergoing renovation works. When it’s installed in a new build, it’s incredibly easy as the contractors will just install it before the floor is laid. In an existing property, there is more disruption since your original floor will need to be pulled up, but if you’re already replacing the floor or doing other renovation works it makes sense to add electric underfloor heating at the same time. 

If you already have solar panels installed, electric underfloor heating is definitely worth it. You can use the free electricity that your panels generate to power the underfloor heating, reducing your reliance on the grid and reducing your energy bill.

If you’re considering electric underfloor heating, make sure you get quotes from local electricians that can fit it for you. Use HaMuch to get comparison quotes from installers in your area.

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