Electric underfloor heating - costs and electricity consumption

• Electricity consumption: Electric underfloor heating
• acquisition cost
  • Heating mat or heating foil
  • thermostat
  • Hints
• operating cost
  • Factor: Flooring
  • Factor: Performance
  • Factor: Current type
• Prices for installation
• The right heating behavior
• Further important information

Electric underfloor heating in the bathroom increases comfort and keeps you warm on cold days. The heater can be used both as an additional heating option for a combustion heater and in combination with an electric wall heater. Learn in our guide, which expenses you have to expect for installation and operation.

When planning the heating system, operating costs are an important issue. In times of rising energy costs, it is important to pay attention to efficient design. Although underfloor heating is considered particularly convenient, it is also costly. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to the energy consumption in advance, in order to save maintenance costs later. For this, the selection of the right heating model as well as the installation and the heating behavior are decisive. But the electricity tariffs are also significantly different, which also gives control options here. During installation, the costs depend on the manufacturer, the additional material costs and the existing substructure.

Electricity consumption: Electric underfloor heating

The consumption of electric underfloor heating depends on various factors:

• living space
• Flooring
• heating behavior
• Efficiency of the chosen heater
• Insulation / isolation
• selected temperature
• outside temperature

Thus, the power consumption can be influenced to some extent during installation of the heater and during later use. By choosing the heating, the flooring and the insulation / insulation you can reduce the maintenance costs. During use it is crucial how often the heater is used and what temperature is desired.

Energy consumption = square meters x power per square meter x time in hours

Electricity consumption per hour on 12m²:

• Heating with 100 Watt / m² = 1200 Watt / h = 1.2 kWh (max 35 ° C)
• Heating with 150 Watt / m² = 1800 Watt / h = 1.8 kWh (max 45 ° C)
• Heating with 200 Watt / m² = 2400 Watt / h = 2.4 kWh

acquisition cost

The initial costs depend on the base area and the desired heat output. There are also price differences for heating mats and heating foils. In addition there are expenses for the preparation of the underground, which depend on the existing circumstances.

Heating mat or heating foil

Which underfloor heating you decide depends on the subfloor and the actual topsoil.

Heaters
For a floor covering made of wood (laminate, parquet) or carpet, the use of heating foils is recommended. If the substrate is made of concrete, stone or screed, you can use a higher heat output (100 - 150 Watt / m²). For a wooden underbody, a low heat output (55 - 100 Watt / m²) is recommended.

Cost per m²: 45, - to 55, - €

heating mats
Heating mats are most commonly used on tile or stone floors. However, in low wattage numbers (max 100 watts / m²) are also suitable for laminate floors.

Cost per m²: 42, - to 45, - €

thermostat

For the use of an electric underfloor heating the use of a thermostat is necessary. These are often offered in a set (underfloor heating, thermostat). The price for a "Starter-Set" starts at 89, - €.

Hints

A retention is not necessary
Even if electricity costs are higher at first glance than corresponding expenses for oil or gas, the advantage of heating remains as needed. An electric heater is now active when the heat is actually needed. Unlike combustion heaters, no storage needs to be heated. The operating costs for the heat storage are therefore eliminated.

The timing is possible
Thermostats regulate the heating mode. If a modern control technology is integrated, then you can also use individual heating programs or a time control. This makes it possible to turn off the heating at night or turn it on just before you get home. In the bathroom, the process is often even easier, since the heater is generally used only at certain times and in this case is turned on just before the desired temperature increase. This reduces energy costs.

No full-surface installation necessary
With a floor area of ​​12 m², you do not have to cover the entire area with underfloor heating. Surfaces for the bathtub, the shower or other niches omitted.

operating cost

Factor: Flooring

In the bathroom tiles are often laid on the floor. The flooring is easy to clean and splash-resistant, but has the disadvantage that you can not penetrate the heat of the heater very well. This in turn leads to an increase in energy costs. The same applies to marble and granite. Better heat-permeability is provided by laminate, parquet and PVC.

PVC, carpet, wood and cork transfer the heat more quickly to the surface of the floor and thus reduce electricity costs. The heating phase is shortened and the energy can be used immediately. On the other hand, tiles in the bathroom store heat better and last for longer. This feature also helps save energy costs.

Factor: Performance

An important value for calculating energy costs is the wattage of the selected heater. It is expressed in watts per square meter. To determine energy costs, you need to know the heating power, the square footage and the duration. Then you determine the energy costs taking into account the current prices of your electricity provider using the following formulas:

• Energy consumption = square meters x power per square meter x time in hours
• Electricity costs = energy consumption x price for the kWh

Case 1: Heating as additional heating
Suppose the electric underfloor heating has an area coverage of 100 watts per square meter and the bathroom has a size of 12 m². In this case, the energy consumption per hour is calculated as follows:

• Energy consumption = 12 m² x 100 watts per m² x 1 h = 1200 watts = 1.2 kWh

The electricity costs are now dependent on the prices of the respective provider:
If you have chosen a tariff in which you pay 30 cents per kWh, then this results in the following total costs per hour of use:

• Electricity costs = 1.2 kWh x 0.30 Euro = 0.36 Euro / h

In the bathroom, the heating is usually not used throughout the day, but serves as an additional heating option, so as not to get cold feet. With a daily operating time of 2 hours (1 hour early and in the evening) this will result in annual electricity costs of:

• Annual electricity costs = electricity costs per hour x hours per year
• Annual electricity costs = 0.30 Euro x 730 h = 219, - €

This sum increases or decreases according to the daily usage time. Since the heating is usually only used in the winter time or in the fall, one can assume in practice of a halving of the maintenance costs:

• Running costs for the winter and fall = 219, - € / 2 = 109.50 €

Case 2: Heating is the only energy source in the bathroom
Especially with a subsequent expansion of a bathroom or an extension, it would often be too expensive to connect the room to the existing heating system. When it comes to small premises, then underfloor heating is often sufficient. As an addition, if required, an electric wall heating can be used, this also takes up only a small amount of space and is easy to install.

In this example, the power of the heater is set higher than in the first example, since the heater should provide a higher temperature to be more effective. Total area of ​​the bathroom is 12 m².

• Power of the heater: 150 watts / m²
• Price per kilowatt hour: 30 cents
• Useful life per year: 2, 000 hours (about 5 - 6 h per day)

The electricity costs for the bath are calculated as follows:

• Energy consumption = 12 m² x 150 watt / m² x 2, 000 h = 3, 600, 000 watt / h = 3, 600 kWh
• Electricity costs = 3, 600 kWh x € 0.30 = € 1080 per year

This sum also increases or decreases according to the daily usage time. Since the heating is usually only used in the winter time or in the fall, one can assume in practice of a halving of the maintenance costs:

• Running costs for the winter and the fall = 1080, - € / 2 = 540, - €

Factor: Current type

Eco-electricity or conventional electricity "> Prices for installation

The expenses for the installation are composed of various factors. When calculating, you must always take into account the following items:

• Price for the heating
• labour costs
• Cost of preparation
• Prices for the flooring
• aid

Prices for the heating

The prices for the heating differ by the execution of the heating, by the manufacturer and the performance. If it is a complete set including a thermostat, you will have to spend around € 100 per square meter and get an output of 150 watts / m². Heating foil is generally not recommended for tiles and costs about 25 € per m² . A thinner and simpler heating mat causes costs of between € 40 and € 60 per square meter.

labour costs

The more work you do yourself, the less investment is required. If you need support or do not want to do some of the work yourself, you will incur between € 50 and € 100 in labor costs per working hour. In addition, travel times and rental fees for necessary tools are often calculated.

Cost of preparation

Before you can start installing the underfloor heating, you must do the necessary preparatory work. These can lead to additional costs and must therefore be taken into account when calculating the total costs.

1. Remove old floor coverings, sand paint, adhesive residue or wax layers.

As a result, you incur labor costs, which naturally cease to exist when you carry out the work yourself. However, you need suitable tools for this. Grinders can often be borrowed at the hardware store, prices vary depending on the provider. On average, you have to pay with expenses of 10 to 20 euros per grinder. In addition there is the position of a deposit, which you get directly paid back after the return.

2. You have to smooth the surface and balance it.

If there are damages in the ground, then these must be compensated. You will need balancing materials so that the costs depend on the amount of work required.

3. Impact sound insulation and thermal insulation.

In order to increase the effectiveness of underfloor heating and save energy costs later, you must ensure sufficient insulation. The impact sound insulation reduces the noise and at the same time catches the energy. Expect an average of 10 Euro per m².

Cost of the flooring

Tiles are often used in the bathroom because they are insensitive to water spray. For each square meter, you have to expect spending between 4 and 25 euros. The exact amount of the investment depends on the selected tile model, since there are large price differences. Lay the tiles yourself, then offers you a great savings potential.

Tip: In any case, buy more tiles than you have calculated because you have to expect breakage. In addition, it is advantageous to save a small supply, if later more tiles are needed.

If you decide in the bathroom for a different flooring or want to provide a portion of the bathroom with a different flooring, then the following prices result:

• Parquet floor: 15 € to 40 € per square meter
• PVC flooring: 5 € to 20 € per square meter
• Laminate floor: 5 € to 25 € per square meter
• Carpeting: 5 € to 20 € per square meter

Expenses for maintenance

A big advantage of electric underfloor heating is that it eliminates the expense of maintenance. Combustion heaters must be serviced once a year. This results in maintenance costs for cleaning the boiler, replacing seals and filling water. Electric underfloor heaters, on the other hand, require no maintenance but only have to undergo a functional test.

Attention: However, consider the case of necessary repairs. In this case, the creation of an access or the creation of the original state can lead to increased repair costs.

The right heating behavior

Due to the heating behavior you influence the operating costs to a large extent. For tiles, it is important to consider the preheating time. The material heats up only slowly, so much energy is spent in this phase. The heat is then stored for a while, which can be used. It would be ineffective to heat the tiles several times in succession and let them cool again. Opening the window when the heating is switched on is also considered to be cost-intensive and should therefore be avoided. Open doors can also allow heat to escape.

Tips for quick readers:

• Power consumption depends on:
  • heating behavior
  • Heating model
  • room size
  • temperatures
  • Insulation / insulation
  • Flooring
• Acquisition costs depend on:
  • Heating model
  • extra cost
  • own contribution
  • substructure
• Electricity consumption = area output x area x heating time
• Energy costs = electricity consumption x costs / kWh
• Costs can be controlled
• pay attention to a good insulation / insulation
• Installation costs dependent on the manufacturer
• observe maximum power
• Example:
  • As auxiliary heating 12 m² bathroom - about 109 € per year (2 h daily in autumn and winter)
  • Single heating: 12 m² bathroom - about 1080 € per year

Further important information

• Vent underfloor heating
• Retrofit underfloor heating
• Construction of a floor heating
• advantages
• flow temperature
• Heating does not get warm