Infrared heating comparisons
A fair comparison of the heating options people consider for UK homes, workplaces and hard-to-heat buildings. We compare delivered heat, electricity use, comfort, controls and installation — without claiming that one system wins every room.
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A heat pump uses roughly three times less electricity than infrared for the same heat (COP ~3.2 vs 1.0), so it is cheaper to run for whole-home heating. Infrared wins on upfront cost, zonal on-demand heat, zero maintenance and easy retrofit — which is why it suits single rooms, intermittent spaces and hard-to-treat buildings rather than replacing a heat pump.
Gas is currently the cheaper fuel per kWh, so whole-home gas central heating usually has a lower running cost today than heating every room with infrared. Infrared avoids a boiler, flue and wet system entirely, gives per-room control, and is a genuine option where there's no gas supply or for heating individual rooms rather than the whole house.
Both are electric and resistive, so neither beats a heat pump on efficiency — but infrared gives instant, controllable, zonal heat, while storage heaters release heat on a fixed cycle and often waste it during the day. For most homes on old storage heaters, infrared is a more comfortable, more controllable upgrade, especially on a time-of-use tariff.
Electric radiators and infrared panels are both 100% efficient at turning electricity into heat, so running cost per kWh is the same. The difference is how they deliver it: electric radiators warm the air (convection), while infrared warms people and surfaces directly (radiant), which can feel warmer sooner and suits draughty or intermittently used rooms.
Infrared panels and conventional panel heaters both use direct electricity, so their cost per kWh is broadly the same. Infrared heats surfaces and people directly, while a panel heater mainly warms air by convection. Choose based on room use, insulation, controls and the type of comfort you want — not an efficiency claim.
Infrared panels and oil-filled radiators are both direct electric heating, so neither has a lower electricity cost for the same delivered heat. Infrared can feel warm quickly and free floor space; oil-filled radiators provide gentle convected heat and are often portable. Installation, room use and control matter more than the label.
Economy 7 storage heaters charge overnight at a lower rate and release heat later, while infrared heats rooms on demand. Storage heaters can be economical when the night tariff and charge pattern fit; infrared offers more precise room-by-room control but uses the live electricity rate unless paired with a suitable tariff.