Is Underfloor Heating Expensive to Run? UK Costs
Electric underfloor heating is expensive to run (10–15p per kWh). Wet UFH with gas boiler or heat pump is cheap (3–5p per kWh).
Electric UFH: expensive (£180–275 per year for 10m² bathroom). Wet UFH: cheap (£55–85 per year for same bathroom). Wet UFH costs more to install but saves £125–190 per year on running costs.
Running cost comparison
10m² bathroom, 3 hours daily use:
- Electric UFH: £230 per year
- Wet UFH (gas): £66 per year
- Wet UFH (heat pump): £66 per year
- Radiator (gas): £70 per year
Electric UFH is 3–4× more expensive than wet UFH or radiators.
Why wet UFH is cheaper
Gas costs 7p per kWh. Electricity costs 28p per kWh. Heat pumps use electricity but deliver 3.5kWh heat for every 1kWh electricity (effective cost: 8p per kWh).
Wet UFH also runs at lower temperature (35–45°C) than radiators (60–70°C), so boiler operates more efficiently.
Is UFH cheaper than radiators?
Wet UFH running cost is similar to or slightly lower than radiators (5–10% saving). The savings come from:
- Lower flow temperature (more efficient)
- Even heat distribution (no cold spots)
- Zoned control (heat only occupied rooms)
Electric UFH costs 3–4× more than radiators to run.
Reducing running costs
- Use programmable thermostats (saves 15–25%)
- Zone the system (saves 20–30%)
- Insulate under UFH properly
- Choose tile over carpet (better heat transfer)