HOW MUCH DOES AN ELECTRIC UNDERFLOOR HEATING SYSTEM CONSUME?
Find out how much electric underfloor heating consumes with our online simulator.
The question we’re asked most often is how much energy an electric heating system consumes. Energy consumption is what concerns our customers the most—which is odd, since people don’t usually ask the same question when installing a traditional heating system. This is because the traditional approach to heating systems in Italy tends to view electric heating with suspicion, which is not the case in the rest of the world. In particular, Northern European countries have been making extensive use of electric heating for decades.
To predict in advance and with precision exactly how much energy the Warmset electric heating system consumes, you’d have to be a fortune-teller! It’s impossible to give a standard answer, just as it’s impossible to predict in advance the energy consumption of any gas- or electric-powered system.
Here are the many factors that affect consumption.
THERMAL INSULATION OF THE BUILDING
The more insulation a house has, the lower the thermal power required to heat it will be. Over the years, the external cladding of buildings (both residential and not) has become increasingly important.
The quality of insulation has improved to the point that it is no longer necessary to spend large sums to install conventional heating systems that are oversized for the actual needs of the building. It is important to remember that these systems cost more than double compared to an electric heating system.
If the building is well insulated, it is possible to install an electric underfloor heating system and obtain very low consumption.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION
The power of the system must be varied according to the geographical position of the building. Systems will have lower power In geographical areas in which winters are milder. In this way, the system will consume much less energy.
USE
Naturally, frequency and intensity of use will influence the costs of any heating system. An electric underfloor heating system is suitable both for constant use and for occasional or sporadic use, for example in holiday homes. This is due to the rapidity with which the system is able even to heat rooms that are not constantly heated.
ENERGY SUPPLY CONTRACT
As we have seen in recent times, the volatility of the market causes continuous price fluctuations. In this context, it is essential to stipulate fixed rate contracts, which allow users to calculate how much they will spend. Otherwise, as happened recently, we find ourselves at the mercy of uncontrolled price fluctuations. In 2022, for example, no user with a supply contract under a protected regime was sure what they would have to pay for their electricity.
We must also pay attention to a technical aspect. When calculations of the property’s energy consumption indicate that a 6- or 10-kW meter needs to be installed, people are often alarmed by the perceived high costs.
In reality, this isn’t the case: a meter capable of supplying more energy will not result in higher supply costs.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF THE SYSTEM
How much does a hybrid car consume? How much does Warmset electric underfloor heating consumer?
The answer to the first question is that it depends on how you drive the car. As for electric heating, it depends on how temperature control and energy consumption are managed.
All systems sold by our distributors are sized according to the specific energy needs of the building. More power than is actually necessary is never installed, and this allows a considerable saving of costs and energy. When installing electric underfloor heating it is essential to install an efficient consumption monitoring system.
How is the temperature of the heating system managed?
Want to find out how much you can save with Warmset heating?
Try our energy consumption calculator.