What’s the Most Energy Efficient Way to Use Underfloor Heating?

With energy prices rising once again, finding ways to reduce underfloor heating costs with an efficient underfloor heating setup is undoubtedly on the minds of many people. Underfloor heating already has the advantage of being more efficient than radiators, and there are ways to increase its efficiency depending on how you operate it.

Maintain Consistent Thermostat Temperatures

By far, the most efficient way to heat houses with underfloor heating is to set the thermostat to one temperature and keep it there. Before, it was believed that blasting the heating in the morning and evening was the most cost-effective way to heat a home, but this has been proved to be very inefficient.

Setting a thermostat to a “base temperature” all day, such as 18°C, will not cause the heating to be on all day. Your heat source will only fire to maintain that temperature, and heating the home from 17°C to 18°C requires less time and less power than heating a home from a colder temperature like 12°C.

You can still set the thermostat higher or lower when you need it. For example, 20°C when you are in the house or 16°C when you are going to be away for a few days. Just remember that the more distant the new temperature is from the baseline you determined, the more the system will have to work to reach that temperature.

Utilise Your Heating Zones

If your underfloor heating has been zoned with a smart heating system, you can take advantage of this to really create an efficient underfloor heating setup. You can set individual temperatures for each zone, and that allows you to only heat rooms that really need it.

This is a great way to reduce underfloor heating costs whilst keeping the rooms you use most at a comfortable temperature. You could even set rooms you seldom use to a colder temperature on the thermostat, as long as you maintain that temperature consistently.

Keep Good Maintenance

An efficient underfloor heating setup is one that receives good maintenance from a heating professional. As well as servicing of the heat source, good maintenance should include ensuring water pressure levels are normal, bleeding any air trapped in the system, and inspection of the manifold. If you have a smart heating system, testing the thermostat and checking its settings is also important.

Low pressure, airlocks, or faulty manifold and thermostat components can cause inefficiencies in the system, costing you more in the long run.

Why is my Underfloor Heating so Expensive to Run?

There can be a number of reasons. We discussed keeping consistent temperatures and keeping good maintenance, as not managing these can cause higher underfloor heating costs. Furthermore, if your baseline thermostat temperature is at a high level, such as 20°C, consider lowering the thermostat by one or two degrees.

External factors such as your floor or home insulation will also affect the cost of your heating. Insulating your home’s walls, installing double glazing, and draught-proofing are areas of improvement you should investigate if you haven’t done so already.

At EasyFlow we design our systems to be highly efficient, using thermal efficient floor screed and floor insulation where possible. This helps ensure you have minimal heat loss and the most efficient way to heat houses as a result. Over the years, we have helped advise or correct installations in need of some optimisation. Talk to us online or over the phone.