Is UFH too unaffordable to run?
The press has recently reported laments against the sky-high running costs of underfloor heating in certain residences, quoting an off-putting ?7 per day. But are you really condemned if you have underfloor heating?
With underfloor heating, running costs are typically related directly to the heat up time, so the longer the system takes to heat up, the less responsive it is and the more it will cost to run. The response time in turn is affected by the insulation level of the room or house. A well-insulated room will be more cost-effective whereas a poorly insulated one will require a longer heat up time, hence less efficient.
For example in an optimal situation, heating 3m? of floor, twice a day, for 2 hours each time, in a bathroom fitted with an insulation board on a concrete subfloor would cost approximately 5p per day. This assumes that the heater will be turned on for 40-60% of the time once the required temperature has been reached and assumes a cost per kW of 6.5p per hour.
On the other hand, running the same system on an un-insulated subfloor would cost approximately 10p or more per day, based on the same assumption.
Of course, these cost estimates are averages only. Running costs may still vary considerably from room to room, on the desired level of warmth and again, it does depend on the heater used too. The local rate of electricity plays a part as well. Low bills are nonetheless achievable and are at the end of the day, more the norm than cut-throat figures.