How much electricity does electric floor heating use and how much does it cost?

There is still a myth in society that electric underfloor heating is extremely expensive. The threat of huge increases in electricity prices can further create aversion to this type of home heating. However, it is worth checking to what extent such opinions are justified. Below you will find out how much your bills will be affected by heating your building with a heating cable or heating mat. See for yourself if these are as large amounts as you think - we are sure that your approach to this solution will change.

Electric floor heating power consumption

To begin with, it is worth considering how long the underfloor heating works during the day. This, of course, depends on many factors, but in the vast majority of cases it will be about 5 - 10 hours per day. In order to maintain the right temperature around the clock, the system only runs a few times for a few hours.

The use of an advanced thermostat, which will regulate the temperature level intelligently, will further reduce the amount of time that the heating equipment operates. According to the most common estimates, on average, the system works for about 8 hours per day, and in modern houses with high levels of insulation - even about 6 hours.

How much does underfloor heating with the use of a heating mat cost, and how much with the help of heating cables?

There are two main solutions for electric floor heating on the market. These are heating cables and heating mats. The former are used primarily in irregularly shaped rooms. On the other hand, heating mats have the advantage that they are laid much more easily because they are placed on a self-adhesive mounting grid. Does the cost of heating each of these systems differ significantly?

What does the cost of electric heating depend on?

The cost of underfloor heating depends on many factors, so it will vary for each household. What has the biggest impact on electricity bills?

• The temperature maintained in the house. The higher it is, the more electricity needs to be used to reach and maintain it. That's why modern controllers allow you to set temperatures for different times of the day. When children are at school in the morning and parents are at work - the temperature can be lowered to 16°C. Similarly, at night a lower temperature is often set than during the day.
• The cubic capacity of the house. More square meters will require more electricity to achieve the desired temperature.
• Thermal insulation of the house. modern window and door frames or the level of insulation have a huge impact on the amount of heat escaping to the outside. Appropriate and thoughtful construction of the house allows you to achieve large savings on electricity bills.
• Use of additional energy-saving installations.An example is recuperation - ventilation with heat recovery, which allows you to gain back up to 90% of the heat lost with air exchange.
• Householders' habits. frequent opening of doors and windows will result in a large loss of heat, which will have to be generated anew by the heating system.

Due to such a large number of variables, it is difficult to clearly determine how much electricity electric floor heating requires. Sometimes it is enough to lower the room temperature by 1 - 2 °C to achieve about 10 - 20% electricity savings. Below we will present sample calculations for a standard house which are for illustrative purposes only.

How much electricity does electric floor heating consume?

Assuming that there is about 100 m² of heated floor space to be heated in which we want to achieve a comfortable temperature in all rooms, the area of permanent construction should be subtracted from this. The largest is in the bathroom and kitchen, where a lot of furniture is placed. A total of about 30% of the living area is excluded from underfloor heating due to cabinets, bathtubs and other fixed furniture.

This means that heating cables will be laid on 70 m² of floors. Assuming a heating power requirement of 100 W/m², we will get:

• 70 m² * 100 W/m² = 7,000 W = 7 kW.

This is the total power of the entire heating system in the house. As we mentioned, on average it works for ten hours a day, 30 days a month.

• 7 kW * 8 h * 30 days = 1,680 kWh.

With the price of electricity at PLN 0.74 per kilowatt hour, we will get a total heating cost of PLN 1,243.20. This is the monthly cost incurred during winter alone, that is, for a maximum of 4 months a year. In early autumn and late spring, you only need to reheat the house, which requires much less expenditure.

Did you know that higher heating power does not mean a higher bill. A higher heating power will heat the room faster which is more cost-effective than installing a lower heating power. Read more about this in the example of the description: what power of the heating mat under the tiles?

Although the cost may seem large, it is worth comparing, if only to the price of coal. Electricity consumption for an entire season for a large, 100 m² building is the equivalent of one - two tons of coal! This means costs reduced by up to half.

How much electricity does a heating cable consume?

In the case of heating cables, the situation will be quite similar. Although on the surface such a cable can be laid more densely or less frequently, which will affect the heating power per square meter, the amount of heat energy generated will have to be at a similar level.

If the cable is installed much less frequently at a lower heating power per 1m², no savings on heating will be achieved, but only increase the duration of the installation before the desired room temperature can be achieved.

Difference in the price of heating mats and heating cables

It is also worth noting the difference in price of systems based on heating mats and wires. The price of a mat for a 2.5 m² bathroom, including a thermostat, is about 1363 PLN. Similar power can be achieved by purchasing heating cables at a price of about 1224 PLN.

Nevertheless, it is much more common for customers to choose heating mats. This is due to their popularity and the ease of laying them. Therefore, although it is more expensive, its advantages compensate for the higher price. Heating cables, on the other hand, are purchased for small rooms or those with a very complicated shape, where it is not possible to arrange the mats in a meaningful way. In this case, however, it will require the calculation of the appropriate distance between the wires and its constant maintenance, so that the entire floor heats up evenly.

Is heating with electricity expensive?

From the above calculations, it may seem that heating a 100 m² house is not cheap at all. However, a comparison of costs to other heating methods clearly shows that electric underfloor heating is one of the most economical solutions. It is worth remembering that an eco-pea central stove also consumes a lot of heat energy, mainly due to the central heating circulation pump.

It also has a very important advantage - it runs on universal electricity, which you can generate yourself with the help of a photovoltaic system. This is a great independence from market prices, because the energy generated by the panels always costs the same - zero zlotys.

Electric floor heating pays off

More and more people who have learned the hard facts are opting for electric underfloor heating. The cheap and efficient way of obtaining heat also provides building comfort unparalleled by other systems. Therefore, if you are only frightened by the cost of buying coal, wood, gas or other fuels - consider setting up an underfloor heating system at your home with the help of heating mats or heating cables. This solution proves to be extremely economical, convenient and healthy. If you still have any doubts write in the comments.