Infrared Heating vs. Heat Pump – 9 Points to Calculate Before You Decide

For a well-insulated new house, the choice between a heat pump and infrared heating is first of all a matter of calculation: a heat pump uses less electricity for the same amount of heat, but the investment in heating film is much smaller, and in a building with low heat demand the difference in annual running costs is also small. It is worth working out the 9 points below for your own house before you decide on either system – whether you request a quote from us or from another installer.

In our experience, customers choose infrared underfloor heating and ceiling heating primarily for the favourable investment cost, followed by economical running and comfortable, radiant warmth. Our company has worked with infrared heating since 2012; the points below come from that practice.

What energy requirements apply to new houses today?

When this article appeared in 2020, the energy conditions for the occupancy permit in Hungary were just being tightened. Today the energy requirements of new buildings are set by Decree 9/2023 (V. 25.) ÉKM, which entered into force on 1 November 2023 and replaced the earlier building energy decree. The specific requirement values are calculated by the designer for the building; we therefore do not repeat the regulation quoted in the original article, which has since lost effect.

Strict requirements raise the value of good thermal insulation and locally generated renewable energy, so for new houses electric heating combined with solar panels comes up more and more often. In our experience many builders plan without a gas connection from the start.

9 points worth calculating yourself

1. How big is the difference in annual heating cost?

The energy demand of new buildings keeps falling thanks to modern windows, insulation and building technologies. Heating directly with electricity needs more energy than a heat pump, but in a house with low heat demand the difference in forints is small. In the article's 2020 calculation, for a house of average floor area the difference was less than HUF 100,000 a year, while building infrared heating cost a fraction of a heat pump investment. How long it would take for the investment difference to pay back depends on the prevailing prices of the two systems and the heat demand of the house. You will find a comparison made at today's prices, with fixed assumptions, in our recent cost comparison of heat pumps and infrared heating.

2. How much does heating cost together with solar panels?

At 2020 prices, building a premium infrared heating film system for 100 m², with full installation, control and labour, was about HUF 1.3 million, and together with solar panels sized to heat the building, HUF 3–3.5 million. At that time 3rd-generation film was the latest; today we install 4th-generation heating film, and we give the current price in a quote.

The promise that was still common in 2020, that solar panels can make the electricity cost of heating disappear completely, was built on the old metering rules. Since 1 January 2024, for new household solar systems in Hungary, electricity fed into the grid and electricity drawn from the grid are accounted for separately (gross metering). Net metering could be kept only by those who applied for the system by September 2023 and commissioned it by 1 January 2026 at the latest, for up to 10 years. Solar panels can therefore reduce the electricity cost of heating, but the size of the saving is worth calculating with your own consumption and gross metering.

3. What regular maintenance should you expect?

A heat pump is a complex piece of building services: it needs regular maintenance by a professional, which has to be reckoned with over its whole lifespan. The many components can also show in repair costs. The maintenance fee depends on type and provider, so ask for it in writing with the quote, and ask what maintenance conditions the manufacturer ties the warranty to. Heating film has no moving parts and no mandatory annual maintenance, so there are fewer elements subject to wear.

4. How much usable floor area does the heating take?

Infrared underfloor and ceiling heating stay hidden in the building structure: under the concrete or above the plasterboard ceiling. There are no radiators, so furniture layout is not restricted either. It is talked about less, though it belongs to the investment: heat pump plant often needs a separate room, which is a construction cost. With infrared heating this room can be omitted, or used as part of the living space for something else, which has value.

5. How long do installation and commissioning take?

In our experience, an infrared heating installation is finished in one day on average. With other systems the installation often takes several weeks, and precise adjustment can take as long as a heating season. This is worth factoring into the schedule too, especially if the date of flooring and moving in is fixed.

6. Will there be a noise source around the house?

The outdoor unit of an air-source heat pump is a continuous sound source in operation, so its placement should be considered with respect to the bedrooms and the neighbouring plot; in the worst case you also have to agree it with the neighbour. Infrared heating has no outdoor unit.

7. What permits are needed?

Among heat pump solutions, the ground-source system is one of the most economical, but it involves permits. If the heat for heating is taken directly from groundwater, a water authority permit is required. A water-to-water system needs two wells: water is taken from one and returned to the other after the heat has been extracted. In our experience, returning the water often costs more than the heating itself. Infrared heating needs no such permit.

8. What impact does the system have on its environment?

Neither electric system has local combustion emissions. With a groundwater heat pump, the water taken and returned comes into contact with the groundwater, which is why an official permit is needed. Infrared heating does not touch the ground or the waters; its environmental load depends on the generation of the electricity used, which your own solar panels can reduce.

9. What thermal comfort does the heating give?

Infrared heating is radiant heating: built into the floor or ceiling, it warms mainly the surfaces and the people in the room, not the air. Because it is not built on circulating air, it stirs up less dust. On the relationship between electric heating and health, for example electrosmog, you can read about our own measurements on our electrosmog page.

What to ask the installer for in writing

For a good decision, the heat pump and the infrared heating quote must be compared for the same house, under the same assumptions. Whether you request a quote from us or from another company, ask for these in writing:

• the calculated heat demand of the house, and confirmation that the system was sized for it;
• the total investment cost, including installation, control and the space needed for the plant;
• the expected annual energy consumption and the fee for regular maintenance;
• the length and conditions of the warranty;
• the duration of the installation and the list of permits required.

Overall, infrared heating represents a simpler approach to heating: with a smaller investment, a short installation time and no mandatory annual maintenance, it gives comfortable, radiant warmth. See on what terms it can be built in your house. Installation is available in Hungary.

More useful articles

• Insulating underfloor heating – what is worth knowing?
• Infrared heating consumption in reality
• Electrosmog and heating film – our measurement article
• Heating film under parquet – installation in Sitke
• Heating film demonstration at the Mapei professionals' meeting