Underfloor heating benefits for homes in lockdown during winter

After a challenging year economically, UK homeowners are experiencing another COVID-19 lockdown now as we step into 2021. This time, however, the temperatures have dropped significantly, and forecasts are filled with snow and cold. With many households working and studying remotely, people are spending more time than ever at home, and under such conditions comes an unhelpful rise in associated costs. From larger food bills from the family all being home to increased electricity use to power personal devices and media centres to keep everyone entertained, outgoings are expected to increase. Particularly in a wintertime lockdown, another inescapable cost is heating homes for more of the day and night, leading to larger bills.

While an underfloor heating system may not be the most traditional method of providing warmth in UK homes, it can offer some advantages for those looking to heat their homes efficiently under government restrictions. Many homeowners are put off the idea when they compare the cost of an underfloor heating installation to older options like gas boiler and radiator systems. This may be short-sighted, however, as calculating the long-term savings that can be made from underfloor heating can reveal that these initial start-up costs will be compensated in time by far smaller energy bills.

In the following passages, we’ll explore how underfloor heating wooden floors or stone tiled areas of your home can not only provide you with luxury levels of comfort over a coronavirus lockdown but cut down your energy use and efficiently shave hundreds of much-needed pounds from your annual utility bills.

Appreciating the benefits of radiant heat

Unlike radiators, underfloor heating operates by transforming the floors in your rooms into a radiated surface. This “radiant heat” rises upwards from the floor, warming the rooms in your house with an even level of distribution. Underfloor systems also take less time and therefore less energy to heat rooms up consistently than systems using radiators and are able to sustain optimum heat levels for longer, increasing household savings.

Additionally, enjoying warmth underfoot offers a continual sense of comfort that common radiators that direct heat sideways across rooms are unable to compete with. In circumstances like a national lockdown where households must live together in a confined area, each with worries of their own, it can be expected that at time, tensions may rise. Ensuring everyone inside your home remains relaxed, warm, and comfortable can be a crucial cornerstone of keeping your household on an even keel and offering some peace of mind during these unprecedented times.

Lowering utility bills over lockdown with an underfloor heating solution

With enterprise owners and furloughed employees on reduced salaries feeling the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, most households will be feeling the pinch and will be seeking to cut back on costs where they can. With Ofgem considering a rise in energy prices for 2021, there has never been a better time for people to analyse energy use and consider other options that might allow them to reduce the price of heating their home.

If a property has sufficient insulation and windows that are double glazed, then savings can already be made. With less heat escaping, these measures mitigate the need to heat rooms continuously for long stretches of time. Installing a dedicated underfloor heating system can efficiently reduce these running costs further still as it has the capacity heat rooms more effectively with a consistent flow of radiant heat.

Taking control of your underfloor heating system, however, is where the most potent savings can be produced. This control can be successfully achieved by installing a dedicated thermostat in every room in the house you wish to heat. With an individual device controlling heat levels for each room, you have the ultimate decision on how much heating is being used at anywhere and at any time.

Imagine if your household under lockdown only uses the ground floor during the day, with everyone working and studying in the living and dining areas. Unless you suffer the inconvenience of turning off each room’s radiator and reverse this lengthy task at night, with a traditional central heating system, you’d be unnecessarily warming the upper floor of your home and wasting power every day.

This is because, unlike underfloor heating systems that can have thermostats for every room, central heating solutions only have a single thermostat controlling the whole house’s heat. Underfloor heating options, on the other hand, will allow you to regulate or switch off the heat to rooms simply, so you can save. This can amount to substantial yearly reductions on energy bills of up to £300.

Long-term gains of an underfloor heating system

As the largest financial investment most of us will make in a lifetime, any work completed on a property must add value to it. Two of the qualities that are guaranteed to increase the asking price a home can command today are green-minded solutions and a sense of luxury. Installing an underfloor heating system ticks both these boxes, as not only does it ramp up comfort levels underfoot, but it can also effectively reduce the carbon footprint of your home.

Underfloor heating is renowned for being a perfect pairing with eco-friendly alternatives to the traditional boilers powered by natural gas that the government aims to prohibit new installations of by the mid-2030s. Low carbon solutions such as heat pumps work well with underfloor heating systems that by design deliver lower heat temperatures over extended time periods to effectively warm rooms.

Whether you possess the DIY skills to tackle the task yourself with an underfloor heating kit or hire qualified contractors to install your system, with winter upon us and rising utility bills, an alternative system to heat your home is a wise move. You might be seeking specialist advice on the most suitable system or looking for premium products and installation expertise you can depend on, but whatever your needs, you can contact our dedicated team at Underfloor Heating Shop for assistance.