Underfloor Heating in Bathrooms: Electric vs Wet Systems
A warm floor is a bathroom luxury worth having. We compare electric and wet underfloor heating for cost, performance and which suits your project.
Few upgrades feel as luxurious as a warm tiled floor on a winter morning. There are two main types of underfloor heating (UFH), and the right one depends on your project.
Electric UFH
A thin heating mat or cable laid under the tiles, connected to a thermostat. Cheap to install, ideal for a single bathroom or a renovation, and adds minimal floor height. Running costs are higher per unit of heat than wet systems but usage in a bathroom is modest.
Wet (Hydronic) UFH
Pipes carrying warm water from your boiler, embedded in the floor. More efficient to run and great for whole-house heating, but more disruptive and costly to install in a single existing bathroom.
Which Should You Choose?
- Single bathroom renovation → electric UFH, almost always
- Whole-house refurb or extension → wet UFH can make sense
Practical Tips
Always pair UFH with an insulation board beneath it so heat goes up, not down. Use a programmable thermostat so the floor is warm when you wake.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is electric underfloor heating expensive to run?
In a bathroom used for short periods with a good thermostat and insulation board, running costs are modest. Insulation underneath makes a big difference.
Does underfloor heating raise the floor height?
Electric mats add only a few millimetres. Wet systems add more, which is why they suit new floors or extensions better than retrofits.
