Heating foil or heating film?
There is no difference: heating foil and heating film are two common names for the same thin, radiant electric heating layer. What decides your choice is not the name but the generation of the product, whether it is self-regulating, and who installs it.
In brief
- Heating foil and heating film are synonyms: both mean the same thin, radiant electric heating element.
- The difference lies in the generation, the self-regulation and the installation, not in the name.
- Today we install 4th-generation, self-regulating heating film, which in Europe is available only from us. We no longer sell 3rd-generation heating film.
- A 15.5-year warranty on 4th-generation heating film when we do the installation.
- Fűtőfólia (futofolia.hu) is a brand of Toma Family Mobil Kft.: since 2012, with more than 5,000 installations.
One technology, two names
Heating film is the term used in English, while the Hungarian everyday term is fűtőfólia (heating foil). Both mean the same thing: an electric heating element a few tenths of a millimetre thick, built into the floor, ceiling or wall, which warms the room with radiant heat. There is no difference in quality between the two words.
In Hungary the technology became widespread in the mid-2010s: the heatflow heating film was presented in Budapest at the Construma exhibition in 2015, and the self-regulating, so-called intelligent heating foil appeared the same year. The basics are covered in detail on our infrared heating page.
It is not the name that matters, but the generation and self-regulation
From the outside most heating films look similar: a black, striped layer with copper strips along the edges. The difference is in the construction. A heating film that is not self-regulating can overheat in covered areas, under furniture or rugs; a self-regulating heating film reduces its own output there.
Today we install 4th-generation heating film: it is made with an increased carbon-paste surface and a full-width contact strip, it is self-regulating, and in Europe it is available only from us. We no longer sell the previous, 3rd-generation heating film; its page has been kept for comparison.
Installation matters at least as much as the product
Heating film is best seen not as a product but as a heating system: it is designed to last decades, and repairing a faulty installation is expensive, possibly involving breaking up concrete, replacing the floor covering and losing heating in winter.
With poor installation even good heating film can become dangerous. Some typical faults cause overheating, others premature failure, and the mildest only higher consumption than necessary. That is why our installers must check more than 100 points during installation, and we do not supply heating film without wiring.
What to look for when choosing heating foil or heating film
- Is the heating film self-regulating? If not, an air gap must be left under furniture and rugs, and the risk of overheating is higher.
- Which generation? Ask, and request the data sheet. You can read about 4th-generation heating film on our comparison page.
- Who installs it? Choose a company whose work and reviews can be checked, and which designs, installs and gives a warranty on the heating film.
- What does the quote include? Compare the technical content: how many square metres of heating film, what output and layer build-up, and what warranty it assumes.
For layer build-ups see the underfloor heating and ceiling heating pages; for consumption and prices see the page on heating film in Hungary.
Who are we?
Fűtőfólia (futofolia.hu) is a brand of Toma Family Mobil Kft. Since 2012 we have been designing, wiring and installing heating film throughout Hungary, with more than 5,000 installations to date. Our official website is www.futofolia.hu; you can find our company details and background on the About us page.
Questions about heating foil and heating film
Is there a difference between heating foil and heating film?
No. Heating foil and heating film are two names for the same thin, radiant electric heating element. Quality is determined by the generation, the self-regulation and the installation, not by the name.
Which heating film is worth choosing?
A self-regulating one, because in covered areas, under furniture or rugs, it reduces its own output. Today we install 4th-generation, self-regulating heating film, which in Europe is available only from us: 4th-generation heating film.
Can I buy heating film without installation?
From us heating film is supplied together with wiring and installation, on the basis of an individual quote, because without wiring we could not give a warranty on it. We give a 15.5-year warranty on 4th-generation heating film when we do the installation.
Where can I see heating film in operation?
In our Budapest showroom at Rákóczi u. 4, 1039 Budapest; you can find further locations on the contact page. You can reach us by phone on +36 20 400 7400.
Related pages
4th-generation heating film
How it differs from earlier generations.
3rd-generation heating film
The first self-regulating generation, for comparison.
Infrared heating: the basics
How radiant heating works.
Heating film in Hungary
Who sells it, where to get it, what it costs.
Contact and company details
Contact details, showroom, resellers.
Do you have a question about heating foil or heating film?
Call us on +36 20 400 7400, or see 4th-generation heating film in operation in our Budapest showroom (Rákóczi u. 4, 1039 Budapest). Installation is available in Hungary.
Sources
- futofolia.hu — Heating foil or heating film (the old 2017 page: the two names are identical, the 2015 Construma presentation of heatflow heating film, types of installation faults, the two photographs) (2017)
- futofolia.hu — 4th-generation heating film page (carbon-paste surface, contact strip, more than 100 checkpoints at installation) (2026-09)
- The client's decisions (2026-09-16): 4th-generation heating film is self-regulating (2026-09-16)
- Statement by Tamás Tóth (2026-10-04): he has the 4th-generation heating film manufactured, exclusively for him — "in Europe only from us" (2026-10-04)
- The client's confirmation (2026-09-22): we no longer sell 3rd-generation heating film (2026-09-22)
- The client's decision on the warranty (2026-09-13): 15.5-year warranty on 4th-generation heating film when we do the installation (2026-09-13)
- Company data: Toma Family Mobil Kft., since 2012, more than 5,000 installations (the client's confirmation) (2026-09)