Infrared heating companies in the UK: how to choose, and how we help
There is no single national infrared heating company, and the sector contains everything from serious commercial contractors to resellers who quote from a floor-area rule of thumb. This page explains how to tell them apart, and exactly what we do when you send us a project.
How do I find a good infrared heating company in the UK?
Look for three things: a room-by-room or zone-by-zone heat-loss calculation rather than a floor-area rule of thumb, an NICEIC or NAPIT registered electrical contractor doing the installation with certification, and a written quote listing output per zone, mounting positions, controls and the electrical work. We are an independent advisory and referral service — we assess your building and pass it to vetted installers rather than selling you equipment.
What separates a good installer from a reseller
A competent contractor asks about ceiling height, insulation, occupancy hours and the existing distribution board before quoting anything. A reseller multiplies floor area by a watts-per-m² figure and sends a price. The first approach produces a system that works in a cold week; the second produces a system that runs flat out and still disappoints.
Check that the electrical work is done by an NICEIC or NAPIT registered contractor, that you receive an electrical installation certificate, and that the quote states what happens if the incoming supply needs upgrading. On commercial sites, ask what comparable buildings they have done and speak to one of them.
What a proper quote contains
Output per zone in kW, mounting height and position for every unit, the control strategy, the electrical work including circuits and certification, clearances relevant to your building, and a projected annual running cost with the tariff and assumptions stated. If a quote lacks the control strategy or the electrical scope, it is not comparable with one that has them.
Be wary of percentage saving claims. Any figure like 'saves 60% on heating' should come with the baseline system, the occupancy assumption and the tariff used. Without those, it is marketing.
How we work
We are not an installer and we do not sell hardware. We publish independent guidance and first-party running-cost data, then match enquiries to installers who cover the area and have done that building type before. Every enquiry gets a phone conversation first, so we understand the building, the timescale and the budget before anyone is passed on.
That means we sometimes tell people infrared is the wrong answer — for a whole-house retrofit with good fabric, a heat pump usually wins on running cost, and we will say so. Our value to installers is qualified projects, which only works if the advice is honest.
A sensible shortlist
- Ask for a heat-loss or zone calculation, not a floor-area rule of thumb.
- Confirm NICEIC or NAPIT registration and that certification is included.
- Require output, mounting positions and controls per zone in the quote.
- Ask for a comparable building you can call.
- Challenge any percentage saving claim: baseline, occupancy, tariff.
Frequently asked questions
Reviewed by the Infrared Heat Solutions technical team · Last updated July 2026 · Data sources: Ofgem price cap, Energy Saving Trust, first-party running-cost model