Underfloor heating is a great way of heating your home and keeping it warm. What’s not to love about walking on a lovely warm floor in winter? Plus it can free up wall space that radiators take up. There are many advantages to running electric underfloor heating and it could save you money on your energy bill each year.
With our free and simple to use electric underfloor heating running costs calculator you can understand the costs of running underfloor heating vs other traditional methods of heating your home such as radiators.
Assumptions Used in our Calculations
Our calculator assumes the use of 150W/m2 matting and a good level of insulation. This is a very basic calculator, for now, and does not take into account unheated areas, insulation levels, duty cycles or different room types. Actual electric underfloor heating running costs may be more or less than calculated so please speak to a professional to get a more accurate result.
Average Electricity Prices Around The World
Calculator Examples
Below are some examples of how you can use our electric underfloor heating running costs calculator. Above we have listed the average prices of electric around the World. However, if you know exactly what you are paying per kWh, usually found on your bill, then use that number to get a more accurate figure when calculating the running cost of electric underfloor heating.
Let’s say you live in the United States and pay the national average of $0.13 per kWh for your electric. You have a living room you would like to heat in the winter months, the size of the living room is 20 square meters. We can use these figures to calculate the running cost of electric underfloor heating. Have a look at the table below to see some results.
| Number of Hours Heating is Running | Running Costs ($) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.39 |
| 3 | 1.17 |
| 6 | 2.34 |
| 8 | 3.12 |
| 12 | 4.68 |
If we use the 6 hours a day figure and multiply that over a period of 4 months you get a grand total of $280.80.
Factors That Affect Your Electric Underfloor Heating Running Costs
Room and portable heaters can be fairly easy to calculate running costs as they are simply just a calculation of using how much you pay per kWh and the power output of your heater. Although the same could be argued about underfloor heating there are many more variables that can affect your electric underfloor heating running costs.
Target Room Temperature
This is perhaps the most important factor in determining the running costs of your electric underfloor heating. The warmer you want the room the more expensive your running costs will be. The factors below impact how long it will take to achieve your desired temperature.
Insulation
One of the biggest impacts to your costs is the level of insulation in your home/room. Insulation in general can help you save on your yearly bill. Some of the most important types of insulation for electric underfloor heating include:
- Cavity Wall Insulation
- Loft Insulation
- Underfloor Insulation Boards
Some types of insulation may only be applicable to certain types of buildings and or regions. It’s important to talk to an expert if you are unsure on insulation projects as they will be able to guide you in terms of what is suitable for your home.
Draughty Rooms and Extractor Fans
Both draughty rooms and extractor fans, usually found in bathrooms/shower rooms, will lead to heat loss and therefore increase your time needed to reach your desired temperature. As a result your running costs will be higher. You can hire an expert to reduce draught in your home or use some DIY products. Look for unwanted and uncovered gaps in your home such as:
- Doors
- Letterboxes
- Loft Hatches
- Chimney Hatches/Fireplaces
- Cracks in Walls
Some ways of decreasing draughty rooms include:
- Draught Excluders - You can get these for a number of places with the most popular being for under your door or letterbox.
- Foam Strips - You can use these for around doors, windows and your loft hatch.
Hopefully our electric underfloor heating running costs calculator has given you a rough idea of how much your spending, or would spend, on heating your home. These calculations are rough and it’s always best to consult a professional to give you further and more accurate advice.