What is the average cost of underfloor heating?

The cost of underfloor heating depends on the size of the installation and the individual conditions in your home.

The cost of installing underfloor heating in your home depends on your answers to several questions. Do you have the necessary skills to install the system yourself, or will you require professional installation? How big is the area where the heating system will be installed? What type of system will be installed?

Wet underfloor heating systems, in which hot water produced by your boiler is pumped through pipes laid beneath the floor, are often more expensive to install than dry underfloor heating systems, in which electric wires supply the heat. However, wet systems are more efficient and therefore have lower running costs.

If you have the necessary skills, you can buy a wet underfloor heating kit from around £500, which includes the pump, mixing valve and thermostat as well as enough pipes for around 20 square metres of floor. Additional pipes can be bought at a cost of approximately £10-15 per square metre if you want to heat a larger area.

Electric underfloor heating is quicker and easier to fit than a wet heating system. DIY kits containing roll-out heating mats start at around £200 for 5 square metres. The cost per metre is lower if you are covering a larger area.

Professional installation of underfloor heating costs around £300 per day. Installation could take anything from one day to several days, depending on the number of rooms, the type of heating system, and the difficulty of taking up existing flooring. Even if you decide to lay the pipes or cable yourself, it is a good idea to hire a qualified tradesman to connect up the plumbing and electrics.

The running cost of underfloor heating depends on several factors, including the size of your house and how well insulated it is. In a newly built home with electric underfloor heating, you could expect to pay about £3-4 per square metre per year. Gas-powered underfloor heating is usually slightly cheaper to run, but the cost depends on the efficiency of your boiler.