Can I Heat a Whole House with Infrared Heating?

Yes, you can heat a whole house with infrared heating, and many homes without mains gas already do. Whether it is the right choice depends on how well the house is insulated, how you use it and what you are comparing it with. Here is what to think about.

How whole-house infrared works

Instead of one boiler feeding radiators, each room gets its own infrared panels, underfloor heating film, or both, with its own thermostat. Panels go on walls or ceilings; film goes under laminate or wood floors. Each room heats up only when you need it.

• Living rooms, bedrooms and offices: infrared panels on the wall or ceiling, or underfloor heating film under a new floor.
• Bathrooms: infrared panels, heated mirrors or towel heaters made for bathrooms. Heating film is not suitable for wet rooms.
• Hallways and landings: a single panel or film under the floor, on a timer.

How much heating does each room need?

As a rule of thumb, allow about 25 W per cubic metre of room in a well insulated house, 30 W in an average house and 35 W in a poorly insulated one. A 4 x 4 m living room with a 2.4 m ceiling is about 38 m³, so in an average house it needs roughly 1,150 W of heating. Our heating calculator does the sums for each room.

What does it cost to run?

Infrared turns all its electricity into heat. At the October 2026 price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh, a 1 kW panel costs about 26p an hour while it is fully on. Once a room is warm, the thermostat switches it on and off, so the real cost is lower.

Per unit of heat, electricity costs more than gas, and a heat pump gets about three units of heat from each unit of electricity. So if you heat every room all day, infrared will usually cost more to run than a gas boiler or a heat pump. It narrows the gap when you heat only the rooms you use, for the hours you use them, and it is usually far cheaper to put in. Read more in is infrared cheaper than gas? and infrared panels vs heat pumps.

When whole-house infrared makes sense

• The house has no mains gas, or the boiler needs replacing and a heat pump is not practical.
• The house is well insulated, such as a new build, a renovated property or a flat.
• Some rooms are used only part of the day, so room-by-room control saves energy.
• You have solar panels or a tariff with cheaper periods.
• You want low upfront cost, no pipes and nothing to service.

When it may not be the best fit

• A large, draughty house heated all day is cheaper to run on a heat pump or gas.
• Direct electric heating can lower a home's EPC rating, which matters if you are letting the property. Check with your EPC assessor first.

Things to check before you start

1. Insulation: loft, walls and windows make the biggest difference to running cost, whatever heating you choose.
2. Your electrics: an electrician should check that your consumer unit and supply can take the extra load and plan the circuits.
3. Hot water: infrared heats rooms, not water. You will need an electric water heater or immersion cylinder if you are giving up a boiler.
4. Controls: a thermostat in every room, with timers, keeps costs down. See our thermostat guide.

Mixing infrared with your existing heating

You do not have to switch the whole house at once. Many customers keep their boiler and add infrared to the rooms it heats badly or that are used at different times, such as a loft room, extension, home office or garden room.

Plan your home

Send us a list of your rooms with their sizes and we will suggest the right panels or underfloor heating film for each one, with a free quote usually within one working day. Get a free quote or start with the heating calculator.