Skirting board heating cost guide

Skirting board heating is a fantastic alternative to central heating. Instead of heating your home with bulky radiators, your heating will be hidden behind your skirting boards!

Sound right up your street? Here, we’ll break down the average skirting board heating cost to help you budget.

Skirting board heating cost

There are lots of different things that can impact the cost of skirting board heating. For instance, the type of system you choose, the size of your home and your location.

That said, material costs for skirting board heating start at around £117 per linear metre.

To give you some context, retrofitting underfloor heating in a renovation property typically costs between £95 - £110 per m². 

The labour cost to install skirting board heating

The cost to install skirting board heating will vary depending on whether you’ve chosen a wet or dry system.

A wet skirting board system involves water pipes running behind the skirting boards. These carry hot water from your boiler around the room to heat up the space.

You’ll need a plumber to install this kind of system for you. The average cost of a plumber is around £347.50 per day.

On the other hand, an electric skirting board heating system – also known as a dry system – uses cables instead of water pipes. The cables run behind the skirting boards and feed to an electric thermostat that controls the overall room temperature.

As such, you’ll need a qualified electrician or electric heating engineer to install this kind of system. The average cost of an electrician is around £400 per day.

Whichever system you choose, it’s usually pretty quick and easy to install skirting board heating. Most of the time, it will only take around a day to complete the work.

How much does skirting heating cost to run?

How much your skirting board heating costs to run will depend on whether it’s a wet or dry system, and the cost of electricity or gas at any given moment.

However, skirting board heating systems are more energy-efficient than traditional radiators. They heat up quickly and distribute heat evenly throughout a room without losing heat through the flooring. This should save you money on your heating bills.

Got renewable heating, like solar panels or a heat pump? Good news! Using them to power your skirting board heating system will massively reduce your heating bills.

Get a quote to install heated skirting boards

Search your postcode below to find an expert local to you. Then request a quote for them to install skirting board heating in your home.

What is skirting board heating?

Skirting board heating is a relatively new idea, first pitched by inventor Martin Wadsworth on the BBC TV show Dragon’s Den. It’s an alternative to central heating, where heating elements are hidden behind skirting boards to heat rooms.

This kind of heating system is similar to underfloor heating, in that it distributes heat evenly around the room. But it can be much simpler and cheaper to fit (and retrofit).

On top of that, it takes up no extra space (unlike unsightly radiators and heaters). And it can be much easier to keep clean and dust-free.

How does skirting heating work?

There are several skirting heating systems you can choose from in the UK. But the best known is ThermaSkirt – the system that appeared on Dragon’s Den.

ThemaSkirt is made from an energy-efficient aluminium alloy that’s five times more effective at radiating heat than steel.

There are two watertight pipes fitted into the back of the skirting. These connect straight onto a conventional plumbed system, just like a radiator. When hot water passes through the pipes, the whole front gets warm, heating up your room in minutes.

Meanwhile, it looks just like a typical skirting board and can be quickly installed all around the room without ripping up floors.

Benefits of skirting board heating

It’s easy to see why skirting board heating is popular. As well as being easier and cheaper to fit than other types of heating systems, it also offers the following benefits:

• Saves space otherwise taken up by radiators or heaters
• Reduces energy bills by distributing heat evenly around the room
• Eco-friendly thanks to less heat lost
• Easy cleaning – unlike radiators, which tend to trap dust and dirt
• A hygienic solution in healthcare environments
• Works well with all kinds of different floor types
• Easy to retrofit without removing furniture or ripping up floors
• Prevents your walls from developing mildew and damp

Will skirting board heating work well in every room?

As great as skirting board heating can be, it’s not the perfect option for every room and every home. How well this heating system works in your home will depend on the size of your rooms.

Like underfloor heating, skirting board heating operates at a lower temperature than radiators. But because it’s placed around the outside of your rooms, it can be difficult for the heat to reach all areas of a very large space. This can leave some colder pockets.

Similarly, skirting board heating is more suited to newer homes. This is because in older properties, draughts along the edges of the room are common. This can reduce the efficiency of your skirting heating system.

Not sure whether skirting board heating is the right choice for your home? We’d recommend getting in touch with a professional who can help you decide.

Is skirting board heating worth it?

As long as your home is suited to this kind of heating system, it’s a resounding yes from us.

Skirting boards are quick and cost-effective to install with minimal disruption. Plus, they’ll continue to prove their worth as time goes on, as they work to reduce your energy bills and free up space in the rooms of your home.

If you want a cost-effective heating system that’s eco-friendly, looks great and is easy to maintain, this is the heating system for you.

Enter your postcode into the box below to find a professional who can install it for you.

FAQs

Is skirting board heating more expensive than underfloor heating?

Skirting board heating tends to cost far less than installing new underfloor heating. This is mainly because you don’t need to factor in the cost of a brand-new floor laid over the top. It’s also priced by linear metre, not by square metre.

What’s the difference between wet and dry skirting board heating?

Wet skirting board heating systems involve water pipes (feed and return) running behind the skirting boards. They carry hot water from your main heat source (for example, your boiler) around the room, heating up the space.

Meanwhile, electric or ‘dry’ skirting board heating systems use cables instead. These cables run behind the skirting boards and feed to an electric thermostat, which controls the overall room temperature.

Is skirting board heating expensive to run?

No. Skirting board heating usually costs less to run than radiators. This is because it distributes heat evenly around a room with minimal heat loss. In this way, it’s an efficient way of heating your house that’s likely to reduce your energy bills in the long run.