Everything You Wanted to Ask the Experts: Our Electric Heating Conference Report

Report, June 2022. At the Electric Heating Conference, our managing director Tamás Tóth took part in a roundtable discussion with other representatives of the trade: János Szász (Nordinova Energy Kft.), Károly Czinege Jr. (Czinege és Fiai Kft.) and Zoltán Czirják (DEVI). The topic was which electric heating solution they consider best, what the challenges of the trade are, and what they recommend to customers in extreme situations. Below we summarise the most important questions and the lessons that still hold today.

It was interesting to look back: 3 years earlier, when we last attended the conference, heating film still divided the participants strongly, and many doubted that the system really works. By 2022 we had completed more than 4,000 installations and trained more than 1,000 professionals. Today we have worked with infrared heating film since 2012, with more than 5,000 installations behind us.

Connection technique: the system depends on it

The most common question from professionals and critics: what is the connection technique of heating film, and how do we make sure it is done correctly at installation?

All participants agreed that, for both heating cable and heating film, the wiring decides whether the heating runs without trouble. Many manufacturers supply factory-assembled connections; we leave on-site wiring to electricians. We know the risk of human error, so we regulate the process strictly. Heating film is a thin foil strip with a contact band running along both edges; we connect the cables to this, and the joint must be insulated professionally. That is why in 2022 we sold complete heating systems, not film on its own: it would have been risky for buyers to wire it themselves. Wiring should still be left to a professional today.

Our own quality assurance system

Because the wiring is done by people, we developed our own quality assurance system and check the installation against it. We also tell the customer which checklist to hand to the following trades, such as the tiler. Up to the time of the conference, there had never been a case where concrete had to be broken up to replace heating film.

Poor installation damages the reputation of the whole technology, whoever does it. That is why we consider professional training important: so that a healthy and safe heating system is built everywhere.

Is it really three times more expensive than gas?

Everyone wants to know: how much do running costs rise if you switch to electric heating?

The common claim that electric heating costs three times as much as gas also came up at the conference. The roundtable considered this an exaggeration and argued from efficiency: even the best gas heating is at most 92% efficient, and it reaches that only if condensation actually occurs, for example with underfloor heating. Electric heating converts electricity to heat at 99% efficiency. However, the cost of heating is determined not only by efficiency but also by the price of energy and the heat loss of the building – a comparison calculated with today's prices is given in our 2026 cost comparison and on our page on consumption.

For both heat pumps and infrared heating, good thermal insulation is key: the less heat the house loses, the less has to be heated. The experts recommended heat pumps rather for large buildings and infrared heating rather for smaller family houses; the dividing line is always set by the heat demand of the particular building.

What do the experts recommend as a quick solution?

If a heating problem has to be solved suddenly, for example in a 40 square metre flat in a poor-condition panel block, what do they suggest?

The participants unanimously recommended a panel heater solution here: it can be installed quickly and is not too expensive to run. In a poor-condition panel flat, however, you have to reckon that, because of weak insulation, the electricity bill can even triple.

For a single-storey or two-storey family house, part of the electricity needed for heating can also be produced with solar panels, which reduces running costs. Under today's rules, however, since 1 January 2024 new household solar systems in Hungary are on gross metering, with electricity fed into the grid and electricity drawn accounted for separately; net metering could only be kept for systems applied for by September 2023 and commissioned by 1 January 2026, for up to 10 years. Details are on our solar panel page.

How long did you have to wait for installation?

In summer 2022 the waiting time for heating film was about 2-3 weeks, and installation took 1-2 working days depending on the area. We could keep this up because we work with our own installers and many contractors we have trained. We give the current lead times at the on-site survey. A comparison of electric heating methods can be found on our page on electric heating.