In the average UK home around half the energy we use goes on heating and hot water. That means anything we can do to make our heating more efficient can have a big impact on our energy consumption and reduce our bills significantly. But how efficient is underfloor heating and can it really save you money?
Photo by Martin Pettitt / CC BY
Types of underfloor heating
There are two types of underfloor heating, electric and water-based. Electric, or ‘dry’, systems use heating wires hidden beneath your flooring, while water-based, or ‘wet’, systems rely on pipes carrying hot water from your boiler around your home to provide heat. Electric underfloor heating is generally cheaper to install, but more expensive to run, while water-based options have a higher initial cost, but use less energy to run so will save you more money in the long term.
How you save money
Underfloor heating generates heat over a much larger surface area, meaning you can run your central heating at a lower setting than with radiators while still achieving a comfortable temperature throughout your home. Because heat rises, having your heating under the floor is also a much more efficient way of warming a space than a radiator placed to one side of a room. Underfloor heating provides heat more directly to the whole space, resulting in less heat (and less of your money) being wasted.
Getting the most from your system
Underfloor heating is most effective in well-insulated homes with few drafts. This allows you to maintain a stable, comfortable temperature while running your system continuously on a low setting which uses very little energy.
To increase your savings further, a water-based systems can be connected to a solar water heating system or ground source heat pump. This will provide the hot water needed to run your underfloor heating while using very little energy and so costing you much less to run.
DHS have years of experience fitting underfloor heating in both new builds and existing homes throughout Bristol and the surrounding area. To find out more or to request a quote, get in touch today.
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