The Disadvantages of Choosing Electric Heating in Construction

While the planned 2035 ban on gas boilers is due to be scrapped, the government’s FHS (Future Homes Standard) initiative is expected to mandate that property developers continue to build “low-carbon properties” that reduce reliance on gas. Naturally, this means that many construction firms are looking toward electric-based heating, such as electric radiators and electric underfloor heating.

There’s no doubt that these options are better for the environment than gas-powered radiators, especially when combined with renewable energy generation on-site. But there are some disadvantages with electric heating, many of which can be addressed by the benefits of underfloor heating.

Avoid Higher Running Costs Passed to the Buyer

While electric heating options are marketed as 100% efficient at the point of use, that only means that all the power they use is converted directly into heat. On average, they take longer to heat a room to its optimal temperature than traditional radiators.

UK electricity prices continue to be some of the highest in the world, at 24.86p per kWh as of January 2025. It will take many years of investment into renewable energy sources before we can see electricity costs per kWh at the same levels as gas. In short, a property owner or tenant will be paying more to heat a property powered with electric heating.

That said, this all depends on the type of electric heating. Electric underfloor heating is more efficient than storage heaters, convection heaters and space heaters. And wet underfloor heating, combined with a heat pump installation, is a much more efficient heating method than electric underfloor heating by up to 40%.

Choose A Setup That Increases Property Value

To follow from the previous point, as electricity is so costly when it comes to heating, this makes properties less attractive to buyers and renters to an extent. While electric radiators haven’t been proven to be a deal-breaker, they haven’t been proven to directly increase how much buyers are willing to pay above asking price for a property.

One study has shown that homes with heat pump installations increase in value by up to 3%. While this may not seem much, remember that one of the benefits of wet underfloor heating is its compatibility with heat pumps. Wet underfloor heating setup in homes has been shown to be very appealing to buyers, with buyers willing to pay as much as £10,000 over asking price just for the prestige of underfloor heating.

Design for Safety

The average use of electronics and machinery in properties is steadily increasing. Electric heating systems have high wattage demand during operation, but so do smart technology systems, high-end computers, and EV chargers.

A robust three-phase electrical system with optimal circuit design is necessary to prevent power cuts, circuit overloads, and other electrical faults. Wet underfloor heating is also generally much safer than electric underfloor heating systems, which have been known to cause fires and electrical arcing when the wires are damaged.

Choose Wet Underfloor Heating

Whether you are constructing new builds or retrofitting older properties, you needn’t settle for inefficient electric heating or high-carbon gas-powered heating. Wet underfloor heating bridges the gaps, being compatible with heat pumps whilst providing additional value and comfort. Talk to EasyFlow today and understand the benefits of underfloor heating could bring to your construction business.