How Much Does it Cost to Install an Electric Heating System?
The average cost to install electric central heating in a 2 3 -3-bedroomed home can range from around £4,000 to £8,000.
However, it depends on the type of electrical system you choose and whether you are upgrading your current electric system or installing new electricity from scratch.
Electric Heating System Prices
| Type of Heating | Cost to Buy | Installation Costs | Total Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Storage Heaters | £450 - £975 | £150 – £480 | £600 - £1,455 |
| Panel Heaters | £140 - £400 | £150 - £480 | £290 - £880 |
| Infrared Panels | £350 - £500 | £150 - £480 | £500 - £980 |
| Electric Radiators | £250 - £600 | £150 - £480 | £400 - £1,080 |
| Electric Underfloor Heating Renovated Property | £2,500 - £3,500 | £560 - £960 | £3,060 - £4,460 |
| Electric Underfloor Heating New Build | £2,000 - £2,500 | £280 - £480 | £2,280 - £2,980 |
Water Heater Prices
| Type of Water Heater | Cost | Installation Costs | Total Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Boiler | £1,000 - £2,200 | £210 - £360 | £1,210 - £2,560 |
| Hot Water Cylinder | £400 - £2,100 | £320 - £640 | £720 - £2,740 |
| Solar Panels for a 3-bed property | £7,000 - £10,000 | £600 - £1,200 | £7,600 - £11,200 |
Bathroom Towel Prices
| Bathroom Towel Rail | Cost | Installation | Total Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500mm x 800 | £70 - £90 | £150 - £200 | £270 - £340 |
| 600mm x 800 | £80 - £100 | £150 - £250 | £280 - £350 |
| 600 x 1200 | £90 - £120 | £150- £250 | £290 - £370 |
| Electric Wall Heater | £60 -£300 | £35 - £60 | £95 - £360 |
Heating Source Prices
| Heating Source | Cost | Installation | Total Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Pump | £2,350 - £14,100 | £2,200 - £6,500 | £4,550 - £13,000 |
What are the Supply Costs for Electric Heating Systems?
The cost of electric radiators is, on average, between £200 and £500 each, depending on the design and the features.
The price of an electric boiler or immersion heater to provide hot water is, on average, between £400 and £2,000, depending on the type of electric boiler you choose.
What are the Additional Costs of Installing an Electric Heating System?
The additional costs depend on what type of system you decide to install. For example, if you have underfloor heating, then you will need to budget for:
- Floor screeding
- Floor insulation
- New flooring
Screed is a mix of cement and sharp sand. It’s mixed with water and is placed on top of a concrete subfloor to create an even surface. Screeding a 10m2 surface will cost, on average, around £150 for materials, £220 for insulation and £100 in labour costs. Added to this will be the price of the flooring you choose.
Ceramic tiling starts at around £150 for a 10m2 space. That gives you additional costs of £630 for 10m2. The average-sized living room is between 17 and 24 square metres, so you can easily double the additional costs to around £1,260.
Electric Boiler
If you install electric radiators or storage heaters, you will also need to buy a hot water cylinder or an electric boiler for hot water. The cost depends on the type of boiler you install, but you can expect to pay between £400 and £2,200 plus installation charges of between £120 and £640.
Bathroom Electric Heater
Bathroom electric wall heaters are designed to be used safely where there is condensation and moisture. They are a popular way to heat up a bathroom and keep it warm while the bathroom is being used. An electrician can usually install a bathroom heater in under an hour, and they cost, on average, between £60 and £300.
Three-Phase Electrics
If you have a home that is completely electric or a heat pump installed, you may need to change your electricity supply from one-phase to three-phase. This will give you more power and will ensure your electricity system can cope with the demands of your household. The average cost to install 3-phase electricity is, on average, £3,000.
Painting and Decorating
If you are fitting electric heating into your home, you might also decide to decorate your rooms. If you hire a painter and decorator will charge, on average between £160 to £200 a day.
A typical living room in a 3 bedroomed house will probably take between a day and a day and half to complete at a cost of between £160 and £300 If you want to wallpaper a room, rather than paint it, then labour will be between £200 and £500.
You will also need to buy paint at between £2 and £27 a litre. The wallpaper will depend on the quality and design, but you can pay between £16 and £160 per roll.
Scaffolding
If you are having solar panels installed on your roof, then it is likely you will need scaffolding. The price you pay for scaffolding will depend on whether you need to erect it around the whole house or just part of it.
For example, the cost of scaffolding on 3 sides of a semi-detached house will cost between £800 and £1,000. If all you need is a scaffold tower, then you can expect to pay between £200 and £300.
Tradesperson Costs for Installing an Electric Heating System?
A professional electrician will install an electric central heating system. Electricians charge an hourly rate of between £35 and £60 an hour, which equates to a day rate of between £280 and £480. Some jobs though might be charged on a per-project basis.
Solar panels are usually installed by solar panel technicians or plumbers. The work could be charged on a per-project basis. The cost to install solar panels in a 3-bed house would on average come to between £600 and £1,200 depending on the complexity of the job.
Plumbers tend to have a slightly higher rate than electricians. A plumber will charge between £40 and £80 an hour, which gives a day rate of between £320 and £640.
How Long Does It Take to Install an Electric Heating System?
Installation times depend on the type of electric heating you are using. Have a look at the chart below for an idea of the time it takes to install each type of system:
| Type of Heating | Installation Times |
|---|---|
| Electric Storage Heaters | 4 - 8 Hours |
| Panel Heaters | 4 – 8 Hours |
| Infrared Heaters | 4 – 8 Hours |
| Electric Radiators | 4 – 8 Hours |
| Electric Underfloor Heating Renovated Property | 2 - 3 Days |
| Electric Underfloor Heating New Build | 2 -3 Days |
| Type of Water Heater | Installation Times |
|---|---|
| Electric Boiler | 6 Hours |
| Hot Water Cylinder | 1 Day |
| Solar Panels for a 3-bed property | 2 – 3 Days |
| Bathroom Towel Rail | Installation Times |
|---|---|
| 500mm x 800 | 3 - 4 Hours |
| 600mm x 800 | 3 – 4 Hours |
| 600 x 1200 | 3 – 4 Hours |
| Electric Wall Heater | 30 - 40 Minutes |
| Heat Pump | Installation Times |
|---|---|
| 3 Bed House | 3 Days |
Types of Electric Heating Systems
Electric Central Heating
Electric central heating is made up of an electric boiler and electric radiators. The cost of the entire installation will depend on the number of radiators you have installed. For example, a three-bedroom home could have a total of 8 radiators.
Electric radiator costs will be between £2,000 and £4,800. On top of that, you need to add the price of an electric boiler, which you can buy for between £1,000 and £2,200. Finally, you’ll need to add the cost of installation at between £150 and £480 per radiator and between £210 and £360 for boiler installation.
Your budget for an electric boiler and 8 radiators should be between £3,210 and £7,480, depending on the price you pay for the boiler, radiators and installation.
Pros
- Less maintenance is required in comparison to a gas system
- Cheaper to install
- More efficient than gas
Cons
- More expensive to run
- Radiators may take longer to heat up
- A power cut will leave you with no heating
Underfloor Heating
Electric underfloor heating is made up of a series of heating mats. The mats are placed on top of an even layer of screed and then covered with a layer of insulation. Once the insulation is in place. You can lay whatever flooring you choose.
When you are buying heating pads, you need to pick the correct wattage for the size of the room, the amount of insulation needed, and the type of floor you are going to fit. A modern home with good insulation and a tiled floor will need between 150-200W per square metre.
Tile and stone are very good heat conductors, so they will help the heat mats to work more efficiently. Vinyl, wood and laminate work less efficiently with electric underfloor heating.
The cost to install underfloor heating will depend on whether you are in a renovated home or a new build. New builds are easier and, therefore, cheaper to install. You can expect to pay between £2,280 and £4,460 for the purchase of the electric mats and the insulation. You might also have to budget to have your old floor taken up and install a layer of screed, insulation, and a new floor.
A screed floor costs, on average, between £12 and £15 per square metre, with labour charged between £15 and £25 per hour. The job will take between 6-7 hours at a cost of £90-£175.
Insulation will cost between £220 and £400 to cover an area of 10m2. On top of these costs, you’ll also have to budget for the flooring of your choice. For example, if you have a tiled floor, then depending on the type of tile you lay, you can pay between £15 and £50 per square metre.
A 10m2 room tiled with ceramic tiles will cost between £150 and £250 If you want marble, then you’ll be looking at between £400 and £500. Labour costs for laying the tiles will be an average of between £500 and £625.
Pros
- Energy Efficient
- Easy to Install
- Saves wall space
Cons
- Doesn’t provide an entirely built-in look for your kitchen
- Maybe more difficult to keep clean, especially if you can’t access the sides of the cooker
- It may not match your kitchen if you install a new design
Storage Heaters
Traditional storage heaters store heat at night and release it during the day. That’s perfect if you are at home during the day, but it’s not so good if you are only indoors during the evening and at night.
The problem with cheaper storage heaters is that they run out of heat by the time the evening comes which means your home gets cold. However, if you pay a bit more for a heater, you can buy a heat retention storage heater. These heaters retain around 45% of the heat for up to 24 hours after the last charge.
Some storage heaters are a combination of a traditional storage heater with a built-in convection heater. This means you can use the convection heater to warm up the room if the storage heater runs out of heat.
Modern storage heaters also have thermostats, and some have wi-fi controls. A storage heater will cost between £450 and £975 depending on the features you want and the make and model you choose.
Pros
- Easy to Install
- Cheaper to run if an evening tariff is used
- No pipework or plumbing required
Cons
- It may not release enough heat during the evening
- More expensive than gas heating
- Basic models might release excess heat, resulting in rooms being too hot
Infrared Heaters
Infrared heaters take electricity and convert it into radiant heat. Radiant heat warms surfaces; instead of heating, the heat is transferred to the objects or people in a room.
Infrared heaters are usually placed on a wall or ceiling in the form of panels. They are hardwired into the electric circuit, and you use a switch to turn them on and off. Some panels can be printed with a photograph or pattern to turn it into a focus point.
Pros
- Easy to Install
- Heat up a room quickly
- No annual servicing costs
Cons
- Doesn’t retain heat once the heater is off
- More expensive to run than gas
- Needs space around the appliance, which might restrict furniture placement
Solar Panels
Solar panels take the energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. They are most commonly placed on the roof of a property, but in some cases, they can be placed on the ground or on a flat roof.
You can save money by using electricity from solar panels. You can also send excess electricity to the grid and get paid for it.
The average cost of installing solar panels in a 3-bedroomed property will be, on average, between £7,000 and £10,000.
The cost of solar panels is high, and it will take between 14 and 20 years for them to pay for themselves. Location does have a bearing on their efficiency. In the UK, the south of England gets more direct sunlight than anywhere else on the British Isles, although they do function on cloudy days, too.
Someone living in London who is at home all day could save around £500 a year by using solar panels to produce electricity. A family that isn’t at home until the late afternoon or evening could make an average savings of between £350 and £400 a year.
Pros
- You can send unused electricity back to the National Grid and receive a payment
- Can reduce energy bills
- They don’t need a lot of maintenance
Cons
- Expensive to buy and install
- Not so productive on cloudy days
- You need the space to install them
Hot Water Cylinder
A hot water cylinder stores water that has been heated so you can use it when you need it. There are two types of water cylinders. One is vented, which means the water comes into the cylinder from a cold-water tank. Cold water tanks are often found in the attic.
The second type of cylinder is a pressurised, unvented model. This type gets hot water directly from the mains.
The water is heated either directly or indirectly. Direct heating means that water is heated by an immersion heater inside the cylinder. Indirect heating means the water is heated by a boiler or heat pump.
The cost of an electric hot water cylinder depends on the size and the type of cylinder you choose. Prices are, on average, between £400 and £2,100. On top of that, you’ll have installation costs between £320 and £640.
Pros
- Ideal for large families
- Some heaters can be combined with solar panels for free water heating
- Water stays hot for hours with a well-insulated water cylinder
Cons
- More expensive to run using electricity than gas
- You might run out of hot water, which will mean you need to wait for more water to heat up
- They are too expensive to leave switched on all the time
Electric Boilers
Electric boilers are similar to gas boilers. They heat water, which is used for washing up and showering and also supply the water to radiators to heat your home. You can choose to have a combi-boiler or a heat-only boiler.
Combi boilers don’t need a water cylinder. They provide hot water on demand. Heat-only boilers can heat up radiators but need connecting to a water tank to provide hot water.
Electric boilers cost between £1,000 and £2,100 depending on the size, the make and the features you choose. The installation will be, on average, between £210 and £360.
Pros
- Doesn’t require flue or chimney
- Safer than gas (no carbon monoxide present)
- Quiet operation
Cons
- More expensive to run than gas
- A power cut will mean you have no hot water
- It isn’t as efficient as gas for a large family
Heat Pump
A heat pump uses electricity to convert heat from the outside into heat and hot water for the inside. There are two types of heat pumps. One is a ground source heat pump, which has a pipe buried in your garden and transfers heat from the ground through the pipe and into a heat exchanger, which produces hot water.
An air source heat pump is inside a unit placed outside your property, in your garden. The unit is on average between 100 and 150cm high and between 50 and 100 cm tall. The number of kilowatts you need depends on the size of your home. For example, a 3- 3-bedroomed property will need a 5kW pump.
Heat pumps are expensive to buy and install, but there is some financial help available from the government. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is available in England and Wales. Home Energy Scotland offers householders loans for renewable upgrades. There is nothing available in Northern Ireland for heat pump installation.
The cost of a heat pump varies between £2,350 and £14,100, and installation is on average between £4,200 and £6,500.
Pros
- Environmentally friendly
- Low maintenance
- Efficient energy consumption
- Suited to underfloor heating
Cons
- Expensive to buy and install
- Must be professionally installed
- May need new radiators
FAQs
Q: How energy-efficient are electric heating systems?
Electric heating is the most energy efficient when compared with gas or oil. This is because all the electricity converts to heat, unlike gas.
Q: Can electric heating systems be used in any type of property?
Yes. Electric heating can be installed in any type of property. New builds will be cheaper to install as a retrofit in an older property will need more work.
Q: What is the lifespan of an electric heating system?
Most heating systems will last between 15 and 25 years if they are maintained. The advantage of electricity over gas is that they need less maintenance over the years. A gas boiler, for example, should have an annual check. It is recommended that an electric boiler be checked every 5 years.
Q: Are electric heating systems environmentally friendly?
Yes. Electric heating is environmentally friendly. There are no emissions, and it is cleaner and energy efficient.
Q: What maintenance is required for electric heating systems?
An electric heating system is a low-maintenance option. They should be checked around every 5 years. If your heating system isn’t working as it should, then get it checked as the heating element may need to be renewed. You should also keep radiators and heaters free from dust and ensure that the ductwork remains unblocked.
