Infrared heating and air source heat pumps use electricity in very different ways, so comparing running costs is not as simple as comparing appliance wattages.
A heat pump can deliver more useful heat than the electrical energy consumed by the heat pump because it transfers additional energy from outside air. Infrared is direct electric heating, but can be designed around individual rooms and occupied zones rather than automatically heating an entire property.
Which costs less to run therefore depends on the building, heat loss, heating schedule, controls, electricity tariff and how much of the property actually needs heating.
Are Heat Pumps Cheaper to Run Than Infrared Heating?
For the same useful heat requirement, a correctly designed and operating heat pump can use less purchased electricity than direct electric infrared heating.
However, that does not automatically mean a heat pump will have the lowest total heating bill in every property. Infrared heating can be divided room by room or into appropriate zones, allowing unused areas to remain unheated where the building and controls are designed that way.
A well-insulated home requiring regular whole-house heating presents a very different cost calculation from a workshop, extension, home office or property where different rooms are occupied at different times.
How Heat Pumps and Infrared Heating Use Electricity
Moving Heat
An air source heat pump uses a refrigeration cycle to extract energy from outside air and transfer it into a building.
Because the system is moving heat rather than producing all of the useful heat directly from electrical resistance, it can deliver more useful heat energy than the electricity consumed by the heat pump.
Actual performance varies according to outdoor conditions, flow temperature, system design, heat emitters, controls and the building itself.
Direct Radiant Heat
Infrared heaters convert electricity into heat at the point of use and emit radiant energy towards people and surrounding surfaces.
Infrared does not provide the same heat-pump multiplication effect. Its running-cost case instead depends heavily on how the heating system is sized, zoned and controlled.
Individual rooms or suitable heating zones can have different schedules, helping avoid heating areas that do not require warmth at that time.
For a detailed look at infrared electricity consumption itself, see our guide to how much infrared heating costs to run in the UK.
Efficiency per Unit of Heat vs Total Heating Demand
One of the biggest mistakes when comparing these systems is treating appliance efficiency and total property energy consumption as the same thing.
A heat pump has an important technical advantage: it can use less purchased electricity to provide a given quantity of useful heat than direct electric resistance heating.
Infrared's potential advantage is different. If the heating requirement itself can be reduced by heating fewer rooms, smaller occupied areas or for shorter periods, the system may be serving a smaller total heating demand.
That is why a meaningful running-cost comparison needs to ask not only “How efficiently is heat produced?” but also “How much of the building are we actually trying to heat, and for how long?”
When an Air Source Heat Pump Can Have Lower Running Costs
Heat pumps can be particularly attractive where a substantial proportion of the property requires regular heating and the complete system has been designed to operate efficiently.
Examples can include:
- Well-insulated homes with relatively low heat loss
- Properties requiring regular whole-house heating
- Homes with appropriately sized low-temperature heat emitters
- New builds where the heating system can be designed around the heat pump
- Major renovations where existing heating infrastructure is already being replaced
In these circumstances, the heat pump's ability to transfer environmental heat can materially reduce purchased electricity for the useful heat delivered.
When Infrared Heating Can Change the Cost Calculation
Infrared becomes particularly interesting where the property does not require the same heating schedule in every room.
This may include:
- Homes where different rooms are occupied at different times
- Bathrooms, bedrooms and home offices with different schedules
- Extensions and individual retrofit areas
- Workshops, garages and commercial premises
- High-ceiling spaces requiring carefully planned heating
- Buildings used intermittently rather than continuously
Instead of assuming that infrared is inherently cheaper per unit of heat, the important question is whether its room-by-room or zoned operation allows the building to serve a smaller heating requirement.
Why Two Similar Properties Can Have Very Different Heating Bills
The heating technology is only one part of the running-cost calculation.
Building Heat Loss
Insulation, glazing, construction, draughts and outdoor conditions influence how much heat the property requires regardless of heating technology.
How Much Space Is Heated?
Heating an entire home throughout the day creates a different energy requirement from heating selected rooms according to occupancy.
Operating Hours
The number of hours a system operates and the way thermostatic controls cycle the heating both influence actual electricity consumption.
System Design
Correct heater sizing, heat-pump design, emitter sizing, positioning and control strategy all affect real-world performance.
Electricity Tariff
The price paid for electricity — and when electricity is consumed on time-of-use tariffs — directly affects running cost.
Important: comparing the rated wattage of an infrared heater with the electrical input of a heat pump does not provide a fair running-cost comparison on its own. The two technologies deliver heat differently and the complete heating requirement needs to be considered.
Installation Costs and Overall Heating-System Cost
Running cost is important, but it is not the only financial difference between the two systems.
An air source heat-pump project requires an outdoor unit and integration with the property's heating system. Depending on the existing installation, changes to radiators, pipework, controls or other equipment may also be required.
Infrared heaters do not require a central wet distribution system for the heaters and can often be installed progressively in individual rooms or areas.
Fixed infrared heaters still require suitable electrical supplies, mounting positions and controls, so installation requirements should always be considered as part of the complete project.
Our main infrared heating vs air source heat pumps comparison looks at the wider differences between the two technologies, including installation, ownership and suitable applications.
Can Infrared Heating Be Used Alongside a Heat Pump?
A property does not necessarily have to use only one heating technology.
Depending on the building and heating requirements, infrared heaters may be used in selected areas while another system provides heating elsewhere.
For example, a property may have a central heating system serving the main living areas while using appropriately sized infrared heating in an extension, home office, bathroom, workshop or another independently used space.
Whether a mixed system makes financial or practical sense depends on the building, existing heating infrastructure and intended controls.
What About Gas Heating?
If you are deciding between several heating technologies rather than just infrared and a heat pump, electricity consumption alone does not provide the complete picture.
Fuel price, boiler efficiency, system losses, heating schedule, installation costs and the proportion of the property being heated all affect the comparison.
Read our separate guide: is infrared heating cheaper than gas heating in the UK?
You can also compare the wider differences in our infrared vs traditional heating guide.
Infrared Heating vs Heat Pump Running Cost FAQs
Are heat pumps cheaper to run than infrared heating?
For the same useful heat requirement, a correctly designed heat pump can use less purchased electricity because it transfers additional heat from outside air. Total property running costs still depend on heat loss, operating hours, zoning, controls, tariffs and how much of the building is heated.
Is infrared heating more efficient than a heat pump?
Not when efficiency is measured as useful heat delivered per unit of purchased electricity. Infrared is direct electric heating, whereas a heat pump can transfer additional environmental heat. Infrared's strengths instead include radiant heat delivery and the ability to design heating around individual rooms or suitable zones.
Which is better for an existing UK home?
It depends on the property. Heat pumps can suit homes where the building and heating system are appropriate for regular whole-house heating. Infrared can be attractive where room-by-room control, phased installation or avoiding extensive changes to a wet heating system are priorities.
Do heat pumps always save money?
No heating technology guarantees a particular saving. Heat-pump running costs depend on factors including system design, building heat loss, operating temperatures, controls, electricity tariff and how the system is used.
Can infrared heating work alongside a heat pump?
Yes, more than one heating technology can be used within a property. Whether combining infrared with a heat pump is appropriate depends on the building, heating requirements and control strategy.
How much does an infrared heater cost to run per hour?
Maximum active electricity cost can be calculated from the heater's electrical input and your electricity tariff. Actual consumption over longer periods can differ where thermostatic controls cycle the heater. See our infrared heating running-cost guide for examples.
So, Which Heating System Makes More Financial Sense?
There is no single answer for every UK property.
A correctly designed heat pump has a clear efficiency advantage where the comparison is based on purchased electricity per unit of useful heat. Infrared heating approaches the problem differently by allowing radiant heating to be designed around individual rooms and appropriate heating zones.
The most useful comparison therefore considers building heat loss, the areas that actually need heating, operating hours, controls, installation requirements and total project cost.
For larger or appropriate commercial spaces, you can also explore our infrared bar heaters, or browse our infrared heating range.
For a project-specific assessment, speak with an infrared heating specialist →