Warehouse heating: options, costs and what actually works
Heating a warehouse is not really a heating problem — it is a delivery problem. The question is not how many kilowatts you buy, but how much of that heat reaches a person standing on the floor. That single distinction decides whether your winter energy bill is manageable or ruinous.
What is the right heating system for a warehouse?
For most UK warehouses the practical choice is radiant heating over the occupied zones at roughly 150–250 W/m², not a warm-air system sized to the whole building volume — a 6–12 m roof means air heating spends most of its output above head height.
The problem with warehouse heating
Ceiling heights of 6–12 m mean warm air stratifies well above head height. You pay to heat thousands of cubic metres nobody occupies, and every loading-door opening dumps it outside.
Zoning strategy: Zone by work area (picking, packing, despatch) rather than heating the whole volume.
Options compared
| System | Verdict | Upfront | Running |
|---|---|---|---|
Infrared / radiant panels Warms people and surfaces directly; instant and zonal, with no wet system. | Best fit | Low | Medium |
Radiant tube heaters (gas) Also radiant, so it beats warm air; needs a gas supply, flues and annual servicing. | Viable | Medium | Low |
Gas warm-air heaters Heats air, which stratifies to the roof — most output never reaches floor level. | Poor fit | Medium | Low fuel cost, high waste |
Destratification fans alone Recovers stratified heat but cannot fix a system that heats the wrong place to begin with. | Poor fit | Low | Low |
Indicative annual heating cost — 1,500 m², older / poorly insulated
Degree-day method at UK average 2000 HDD, Ofgem price cap (indicative, 2026). Whole-space figures — zoning typically cuts these substantially.
- Infrared panels£33,022/yr
- Air-source heat pump£13,230/yr
- Gas central heating£11,904/yr
- Old electric / storage heaters£42,336/yr
What warehouse heating costs to install
- Single zone (packing bench area)£1,200 – £3,500
Two to six high-output radiant units on local control.
- Multi-zone unit (500–1,500 m²)£6,000 – £18,000
Zoned radiant with occupancy and time control.
- Full distribution centre£20,000+
Phased, zone-by-zone installation to avoid operational downtime.
How to size warehouse heating
| Situation | Sizing guide |
|---|---|
| Ceiling height under 5 m | Overhead radiant panels or cassettes at 2.4–3 m mounting height; warm air is still wasteful but less catastrophic. |
| Ceiling height 5–8 m | High-output radiant units aimed at picking, packing and despatch benches; allow 150–200 W/m² of covered zone. |
| Ceiling height over 8 m | High-intensity radiant or gas radiant tubes only. Allow 200–250 W/m² and treat any air-based system as a non-starter. |
| Loading bays and door zones | Local radiant units above the working position, on a separate circuit and timer, sized for the door being open. |
| Mezzanine and office areas | Separate zone with its own thermostat — office comfort targets are 19–21 °C against 14–16 °C on the warehouse floor. |
Disruption and installation time
Electric radiant installation in a live warehouse is normally phased zone by zone and done outside shift hours: fixings to the roof steels or purlins, containment along existing routes, and a distribution board tie-in. Racking rarely needs moving. Gas radiant tubes need flues, gas connection and commissioning, which usually means a longer shutdown of the affected bay.
Regulations and approvals that apply to warehouses
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 — a reasonable working temperature, with the ACOP guide figure of 16 °C, or 13 °C for strenuous physical work.
- BS 7671 for the electrical installation and any distribution board or supply upgrade.
- Gas Safe certification and flue compliance if you choose gas radiant tubes.
- Sprinkler and fire-detection clearances — radiant units have minimum distances to sprinkler heads and stored goods.
- Landlord consent and dilapidations wording if the unit is leased.
Guidance summary only — confirm the current requirement with your local authority, inspector or a qualified engineer before ordering work.
Expensive mistakes in warehouse heating
- Sizing the system on total floor area rather than the zones people actually occupy.
- Installing destratification fans to rescue a warm-air system instead of changing the delivery method.
- Running one thermostat for the whole building, so despatch heats at the same setpoint as an empty aisle.
- Ignoring the incoming electrical supply capacity until the quote stage.
- Mounting radiant units too high or too far back, so output lands on the floor instead of on people.
When radiant heating is the wrong answer
If the warehouse is genuinely well insulated, occupied all day at a uniform temperature, and you need frost protection across the whole volume rather than comfort in zones, a warm-air or heat-pump system with destratification can be the better long-run answer. Radiant wins on intermittent occupation, high roofs and frequent door openings.
What to ask before you sign
- Which zones are you heating, and what output per m² have you allowed for each?
- What mounting height and angle, and how did you check coverage at working height?
- Does the existing supply have capacity, or is a board or supply upgrade priced in?
- How is the system zoned and controlled, and can shifts be changed without a rewire?
- What are the sprinkler and stored-goods clearances for the units you are proposing?
Warehouse heating: FAQs
Reviewed by the Infrared Heat Solutions technical team · Last updated July 2026 · Data sources: Open-Meteo, Ofgem, Energy Saving Trust