Infrared Heating vs. Heat Pumps: Which is Right for You?
When renovating or upgrading your heating system, you may be considering infrared heating or heat pumps.
In 2023 a record 36,000 air source heat pumps were installed in the UK.
This guide provides an in-depth comparison of infrared heaters vs heat pumps. We cover costs, efficiency, installation, environmental impact, and more.
How Do They Work?
Air Source Heat Pumps
Air source heat pumps extract heat from outside air and transfers it indoors. Even in cold climates, ASHPs can capture ambient heat and concentrate it for use. They consist of an outdoor unit, which houses a fan and refrigerant coils, and an indoor unit that distributes warm air.
Air Source Heat Pumps are most effective in moderate climates. They don’t do well where outdoor temperatures often drop below freezing.
Infrared Heating
Infrared heating works by using radiant heat rather than convection. Infrared panels emit electromagnetic waves that warm objects, surfaces, and people in their path. Exactly how the sun heats the earth, without the harmful UV light. This makes them perfectly safe for you and your pets.
Infrared panels are wall or ceiling mounted. You can control many via smart devices.
Up Front Costs
One of the biggest things to consider is the cost of installation.
The cost to install heat pumps can vary in a huge way. Anywhere from £7,000 up to a whopping £35,000. In fact, their incredibly high costs have made it into the press on several occasions;
’Installing air source heat pumps can cost up to £20,000 in older properties, while some homeowners have been quoted £30,000. They may also be less efficient in cold weather, and generate a lot more noise, too.’’
– Express
A survey for the RSK Group found that;
“On average, the public believe heat pumps cost around £3,290 to purchase and install…” “An air source heat pump can cost between £7,000 and £14,000 to purchase and install, and ground source heat pumps can cost between £15,000 and £35,000.’’
– RSK Group
Even Boris Johnson to a Parliamentary committee;
“Let’s be frank, these things cost about 10 grand a pop. This is a lot of money for ordinary people.”
– Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Compare that to infrared heating which is much cheaper and easier to install. At Warm4Less, our cheapest infrared heaters range from around £80 to £450 per panel.
With our wall-mounted heaters and portable infrared heaters, you can often just plug them in. In other cases, like with ceiling mount heaters, you might need to hire an electrician to install them. Still, the cost is several £1,000’s cheaper than a heat pump.
If you heat your whole home with infrared heating, you’ll need a separate water heating system. This is still cheaper than most heat pump installations.
Running Costs
Here’s an article from The Telegraph that states:
“Under normal circumstances, in a typical home a heat pump will be £400 to £465 cheaper to run each year than a G-rated gas boiler.
– Telegraph
However, according to the Energy Saving Trust;
“Running a heat pump would be £14 a year more expensive than using a new A-rated gas boiler.”
– Energy Saving Trust
Infrared heating on the other hand, is up to 20% cheaper to run than an A-rated gas boiler. This is despite gas prices being lower per kilowatt.
In a typical 3-bedroom home, we’d replace a 29KW boiler with around 6.5KW of infrared heating.
- £0.08 per hour average gas price x 29KW boiler = £2.32
- £0.26 per hour average electric price x 6.5KW IR system = £1.69
Note: Energy prices fluctuate throughout the year.
Maintenance Costs
According to CheckaTrade;
“On average, you can expect to pay between £150 – £300 [per year] to get your air source heat pump serviced.”
– CheckaTrade
Infrared heaters don’t have any moving parts or complex components. Apart from keeping them clean, they’re maintenance free.
Efficiency
Air source heat pumps boast high energy efficiency. They have a Coefficient of Performance (COP) typically between 2.5 and 4. This means they can produce 2.5–4 units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed. However, efficiency drops in very cold weather, requiring supplementary heating.
In fact, the Renewable Energy Hub say;
“They can take quite some time to heat up, leaving your home cold in the mornings ‘’
– Renewable Energy Hub
The Telegraph have also said;
‘’At present, heat pumps can be slower at heating a home than a conventional boiler or electric heater. Traditional central heating systems heat water by burning gas, which can take radiators to around 75C. Heat pumps only heat water to a maximum of around 65C, meaning houses that use them take longer to warm up ‘’
– Telegraph
Compare that to infrared heating panels. They convert almost 100% of the electricity they use into heat. Their efficiency isn’t affected by outdoor temperatures, so they provide consistent heat.
Because infrared warms objects and people rather than the air, you feel the warmth much quicker. It also means heat isn’t lost through poor insulation.
Infrared heating also delivers warmth exactly where you need it through zonal heating. This means you only pay to heat specific areas of your home, saving energy in unused spaces.
Installation Process
Heat pumps involve a complex installation process, and it must meet several criteria.
According to Green Square:
‘The installation is at least a metre from the boundary of your home, will be used only for heating, is installed on a suitable surface such as the ground or a flat roof (1 metre from the edge), has a maximum volume of .6 cubic metres.’’
– Green Square
Faisal Hussain director of QA Scheme Support Services and chief executive of the HIES Consumer Code, said;
“Radiators will generally need replacing. Heat pumps run at a lower temperature, so need bigger radiators.”
He also said:
“Microbore pipework may also need replacing as they are too narrow, adding to the cost. Lastly, hot water tanks will also need replacing because with heat pumps you need specific type of hot water tank.”
– Express
And according to The Telegraph;
“Around 25 million homes in Britain do not have adequate insulation. Bringing a poorly insulated home up to scratch can cost thousands of pounds.”
– Telegraph
Infrared heating is much easier to install. You can mount the panels on walls or ceilings. This provides a space-saving solution that integrates seamlessly into any interior.
Retro-fitting infrared heaters might take some work. Especially if you’re installing a full system. However, you don’t need to make major changes to your property or need extensive planning.
Environmental Impact
Both infrared heating and heat pumps are environmentally friendly.
When powered by renewable energy, both offer significant carbon savings compared to traditional fossil-fuel systems.
However, when using electricity sourced from non-renewable grids, their eco-benefits are less.
That said, infrared heaters have a smaller carbon footprint due to their simple design and manufacturing process.
Other Considerations
There are other things to consider too.
Space and Aesthetics
When deciding between infrared heating and heat pumps, consider;
- The available space, and
- The aesthetics of the environment.
Infrared panels are compact and unobtrusive. This makes them ideal for homes with limited space.
Heat pumps, particularly ground-source systems, need significant outdoor space and need bigger radiators. As such they may not be suitable for all properties.
Water Heating
Heat pumps can integrate with water heating systems. Infrared heating doesn’t.
If you want infrared heating, you’ll need a separate solution for hot water. However, even with the added cost of a separate water heating system it’s still not as expensive as many heat pump installations.
Conclusion
Infrared heating and heat pumps both offer compelling benefits.
However, infrared heating;
- Is much cheaper to install (even with a separate water heating system)
- Is much easier to install
- Is cheaper to run
- Heats rooms quicker
- Requires no maintenance
- Less likely to go wrong, and
- Takes up far less space
