Underfloor heating offers alternative to hiding radiators

Many people hide unsightly radiators with covers to make them look better, but according to a radiator expect, covering them reduces their efficiency and wastes energy. An alternative is to remove them entirely and use underfloor heating.

Daniel Nezhad of UK Radiators told Ideal Home that:

“Covering your radiator will significantly impact its ability to heat your home.”

Millie Hurst, writing for Ideal Home, suggests that, if ugly radiators are spoiling the look of a room, it could be better to remove them and install underfloor heating, which requires no radiators or other visible heat sources.

Raising energy prices are making it more expensive to heat the home. According to some energy experts, fuel bills could rise by £800 in 2022. Many households are urgently looking to find ways to reduce energy bills.

Radiator heating systems are not the cheapest way of heating a home. Underfloor heating in a well-insulated home, on the other hand, uses less energy than radiator systems as it operates at lower temperatures to make the room feel warm and comfortable. Electric underfloor heating can be powered by renewable energy from solar panels. The cost of installing underfloor heating can be recouped over the long term through lower energy bills. Electric underfloor heating is easy to install, with some households doing the installation work themselves to reduce costs.

Smart thermostats can further improve the energy efficiency of underfloor heating, controlling when and how each room in the home is warmed and switching off heat in unoccupied areas.