Infrared heating in the North West
The North West runs from dense gas-connected city stock in Manchester and Liverpool to genuinely off-grid Cumbria, with a large Lancashire belt of Economy 7 storage heating in between. Each needs a different answer, and this page separates them.
Is infrared heating a good choice in the North West?
It depends which North West you are in. In Cumbria and rural Lancashire, where oil, LPG and storage heaters are the alternatives, radiant electric heating competes well. In gas-connected terraces and semis across Liverpool, Manchester and Cheshire, gas central heating remains cheaper to run for continuous whole-house heating.
Lancashire and the storage heater belt
Blackburn, Burnley, Preston, Blackpool and Accrington carry a large stock of flats, terraces and social housing on ageing Economy 7 storage heating. Search demand for storage heater replacement across these towns is consistent, and the complaints are always the same: heat gone by evening, no useful daytime control, and bills that do not match usage.
The replacement decision hinges on tariff and occupancy, not marketing. We compare modern high-retention storage heaters, radiant panels and a heat pump against your actual pattern of use before recommending anything.
Cumbria and the off-gas-grid picture
Across the Lake District, the Eden Valley and west Cumbria, mains gas coverage is patchy to absent. Oil tanks, LPG and solid fuel dominate, with delivery access a real winter constraint on fell roads, and housing stock skewed to solid stone with slow thermal response.
Holiday lets and second homes are common here and have a distinctive requirement: fast warm-up before arrival, not continuous heating. That is the profile radiant electric heating with remote control suits best.
Commercial and industrial units
Industrial estates around Warrington, Wigan, Skelmersdale, Widnes and Preston hold large volumes of high-bay space. In tall units, heat stratification means warm-air systems spend output above head height, so radiant heating of the working zone is the usual specification.
We compare radiant electric, gas radiant, warm air and heat pumps on capital cost, running cost and disruption, then route the enquiry to installers with that building-type experience.
A sensible shortlist
- For storage heater replacement, model the tariff and occupancy before choosing a technology.
- Check electrical supply capacity in older flats and social housing stock.
- In Cumbria, include oil and LPG standing costs and delivery access in the comparison.
- For holiday lets, specify for fast warm-up and remote control rather than continuous heating.
- Confirm NICEIC or NAPIT registration and certification.
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