With energy bills continuing to put pressure on household and business budgets, many people are asking whether it's time to move away from gas central heating. Infrared heating has emerged as one of the most talked-about alternatives — but is it actually cheaper to run? And does it make financial sense to switch?

In this guide, we break down the real costs of infrared heating versus gas central heating, look at where each system performs best, and explain why more homeowners and businesses across the UK are making the move to infrared.

How Does Gas Central Heating Work — And What Does It Actually Cost?

Gas central heating has been the default choice for UK homes and commercial buildings for decades. A boiler heats water, which is then pumped through radiators or underfloor pipework to warm the air in a room. It's a familiar system, but it comes with significant costs and limitations.

The True Cost of Running a Gas Boiler

As of 2024, the average unit cost of gas in the UK sits at approximately 5.5–6p per kWh, which sounds low. However, a typical gas boiler operates at around 85–92% efficiency — meaning up to 15% of the energy you pay for is lost before it ever warms your home.

Add to this the annual boiler service (typically £80–£120), potential repair costs, and the growing expense of ongoing maintenance for ageing systems, and the real cost of gas central heating begins to look considerably higher than the unit rate alone suggests.

The Hidden Costs of Gas Heating

• Boiler servicing and repairs — required annually and expensive when faults develop

• Pipework and radiator maintenance — systems require bleeding, balancing, and occasional replacement

• Heat loss through convection — warm air rises and escapes through gaps, loft spaces, and ventilation

• Carbon costs — as the UK moves toward net zero, gas heating faces increasing regulation and potential future levies

How Does Infrared Heating Work?

Infrared heating works on an entirely different principle to gas. Rather than heating the air, infrared panels emit radiant heat — the same type of warmth you feel from the sun — which is absorbed directly by objects, walls, floors, and people in the room.

This means the heat is retained within the fabric of the building rather than circulating as warm air that can easily escape. When a door opens in a room heated by infrared, you don't lose all your warmth the way you would with a convective system.

Why Infrared Is Inherently More Efficient

Infrared panels convert close to 100% of the electricity they consume directly into usable heat. There are no flue losses, no heat lost through pipework, and no standing losses from a boiler sitting idle between cycles.

Because the heat is radiant rather than convective, rooms reach a comfortable temperature more quickly — and that comfortable feeling is often achieved at a lower air temperature, which means the system runs for less time to deliver the same level of comfort.

Infrared Heating vs Gas Central Heating: A Direct Cost Comparison

This is where the conversation gets more nuanced — and where infrared often surprises people.

Unit Rate Comparison

The current UK electricity unit rate is approximately 24–25p per kWh, compared to around 5.5–6p per kWh for gas. On the surface, this appears to make electricity — and therefore infrared — far more expensive.

However, this comparison doesn't tell the whole story.

Efficiency Changes the Equation

Gas boilers lose efficiency through flue gases, pipework heat loss, and the energy required to maintain water temperature. A modern A-rated boiler runs at around 90% efficiency in ideal conditions — but real-world performance is typically lower, particularly in older or poorly maintained systems.

Infrared panels operate at close to 100% efficiency at the point of use. Combined with the fact that radiant heat requires less energy to achieve the same perceived warmth, studies and real-world installations consistently show that infrared systems use 30–50% less energy than equivalent electric convective systems — and in well-insulated buildings, can compete closely with gas on a like-for-like basis.

Solar PV: The Game Changer

For any home or business with solar panels installed, the calculation shifts dramatically. Solar-generated electricity — which can be produced at an effective cost of 3–5p per kWh over the life of a system — pairs exceptionally well with infrared heating. Running your infrared panels on self-generated solar power during daylight hours can reduce heating costs to near zero for a significant portion of the year.

Gas heating cannot benefit from solar generation in the same way.

No Maintenance Costs

Unlike a gas boiler, infrared panels have no moving parts, no water, and no annual servicing requirements. Our panels at Infrared Group carry a 30-year design life — compared to a typical boiler lifespan of 10–15 years before replacement becomes necessary. Over a 20-year period, the avoided maintenance and replacement costs alone represent a significant financial saving.

When Is Infrared Heating the Better Choice?

Well-Insulated Properties

Infrared performs at its best in well-insulated buildings where the radiant heat can be absorbed and retained by the thermal mass of walls, floors, and ceilings. Modern new builds and recently retrofitted properties are ideal candidates.

Spaces Used Intermittently

Because infrared heats instantly with no warm-up period, it is highly cost-effective in spaces that aren't occupied continuously — home offices, studios, workshops, garages, and rooms that are used at certain times of day rather than all day.

Commercial and Industrial Properties

Large commercial spaces, warehouses, agricultural buildings, and workshops benefit enormously from infrared because heating the air in high-ceilinged or draughty spaces is inefficient. Infrared heats the people and surfaces in the space directly — regardless of ceiling height or air movement.

Properties Off the Gas Grid

Approximately 4 million UK properties are not connected to the gas network. For these homes and businesses, the alternatives have historically been oil, LPG, or electric storage heaters — all of which are expensive and inconvenient. Infrared heating offers a clean, efficient, and low-maintenance solution that outperforms all of these options.

When Might Gas Still Be the Right Choice?

In poorly insulated older properties with high heat loss, a gas boiler combined with a full insulation upgrade may still be the most cost-effective short-term solution. Similarly, very large residential properties with significant heating demand and no solar PV may find gas more economical on a pure unit cost basis until electricity prices fall further.

That said, the UK government's trajectory is clear: gas boilers will be phased out of new builds, and the long-term regulatory and cost environment for gas heating is becoming increasingly unfavourable.

The Verdict: Is Infrared Cheaper Than Gas?

The honest answer is: it depends on your property, your usage patterns, and whether you have or plan to install solar PV.

For well-insulated homes and commercial buildings — particularly those with solar panels — infrared heating can match or beat the running costs of gas, while eliminating boiler servicing costs, maintenance bills, and the risk of system breakdowns.

For properties off the gas grid, in intermittently used spaces, or in new-build and high-specification buildings, infrared is almost always the more cost-effective and future-proof choice.

As the UK's energy landscape continues to evolve toward electrification and net zero, infrared heating is increasingly well-positioned to be the smarter long-term investment.

Find Out More

Infrared Group Ltd is a specialist infrared heating manufacturer, supplier, and installer based in Derbyshire. We work with homeowners, businesses, schools, and developers across the UK to design and install bespoke infrared heating systems.

Call us free on 0333 0907160 or visit infraredgroup.co.uk to request a free survey and quote.