Replacing a Gas Boiler with Electric Underfloor Heating – Case Study

Gas remains one of the most popular sources of heat among Poles. It’s no surprise, as this blue fuel is still widely considered the cheapest and safest option. But is gas really that reliable and secure? We decided to find out. To do this, we asked our customers who replaced their gas boiler with electric underfloor heating to compare costs. One of them – Mr. Konrad – agreed to share his data with us.

Is gas really the best source of heat? Many homeowners would answer affirmatively, but we decided to check if this is indeed true. Therefore, we contacted our customers who replaced gas heating with infrared heating films and agreed to share their experiences. Mr. Konrad from Krosno was particularly helpful, as he keeps quite detailed statistics of his heating expenses.

What are we heating?

The house where Mr. Konrad lives has an area of 150 m2 and was built in the 1990s. The building has three levels: a basement, ground floor, and first floor. Thanks to the owner's meticulousness in measuring electricity consumption, we have data on the consumption of electric heating using infrared films.

“When installing electric heating, I wanted to know how much electricity I would use, so I decided to install a submeter. Now I know that the investment was a great choice, as the consumption is not as high as I initially thought,” said Mr. Konrad.

Before our client made the decision to replace gas heating with electric, he insulated his home. Although the investment cost was high, this step allowed for the effective use of infrared heating films.

“Two things really convinced me to undertake thermal modernization. The first was savings, and the second was the subsidy that reduced the investment costs. Bringing the old house up to the WT2021 standard allowed for heat retention in the building. In my case, this is crucial because when it was built, no one knew about things like thermal modernization or thermal bridges. That was the first step.”

Is gas a thing of the past?

The replacement of gas heating was driven by several factors. First and foremost are the rising gas costs in Poland, which increase year by year. The second factor is the security of gas supplies.

“When I gave up gas, many people shook their heads, claiming it was the cheapest available fuel. However, I concluded that gas is not entirely reliable. After all, Poland imports gas from abroad, and it’s not certain that it will always flow. We do import gas, but that’s still just one supply route. What will happen if the gas stops flowing? I decided I preferred peace of mind, so I started looking for an alternative,” said Mr. Konrad.

The uncertainty of gas supplies is a rational argument, though difficult for many to accept. Additionally, one must consider the limitations on new connections. PGNiG announced a year ago that it would not be undertaking new investments by the end of 2023 due to a lack of funds. If someone plans to build a house, they must reckon with the fact that they will not be able to obtain gas – at least until the end of this year. What will happen next? It’s unknown.

Decrease in heating costs

Before replacing the heat source, Mr. Konrad paid over 6500 zł annually for gas heating. This high amount was primarily due to the significant energy demand.

“A house without insulation is a bottomless pit when it comes to heating. An audit conducted three years ago made me aware of how much heat escapes from the interior. That ultimately convinced me to undertake thermal modernization of my house.”

After completing the work and handling all the formalities, Mr. Konrad noticed a decrease in heating costs. The house, which meets the WT2021 insulation standard, brings concrete savings, and they are not small.

“A year after the work was completed, I noticed a significant difference. My heating costs dropped by about a quarter annually. Initially, this impressed me, but when I compared it to my neighbors who replaced their old boiler, it turned out that my costs were not as low as theirs.”

The outdated furnace and radiators, which were installed in Mr. Konrad's house by his father, are no longer efficient. Therefore, the resident of Krosno began searching for alternatives. Initially, he was attracted to heat pumps. On paper, everything looked perfectly fine, but reality proved otherwise.

“I was genuinely interested in heat pumps due to heating costs. I spoke with many advisors who praised them highly, and I was basically decided. However, I then started reading reviews about them and began to have doubts. On one website, I read about high and low-temperature heat pumps. And it’s true – a low-temperature heat pump is relatively cheap, but you need to have a water underfloor heating system. I didn’t want to undertake a major renovation of my house, which would be required for its installation.”

Mr. Konrad could have opted for a high-temperature heat pump, which is designed for heating with radiators. However, its cost is much higher, which did not quite add up for our client. Let’s remember that he had already invested in thermal modernization, so spending several tens of thousands of złotys on a new heat source was out of the question.

“A high-temperature heat pump costs around 50 – 60 thousand złotys. That was definitely too much for my budget. I still needed new heating, as the old furnace was no longer efficient. Besides, what can you expect from a fifteen-year-old boiler?”

And this is where infrared heating entered the scene, gaining increasing popularity. This technology does not have the same financial support as the mentioned heat pumps, but Mr. Konrad searched for information on it and began to delve deeper. It turned out that there are many people in Poland who heat their homes with electricity.

“I read about electric heating on Facebook, and to be honest, I was very much against it at first. Who heats with electricity these days? No one in their right mind, because electricity prices are high.”

Why infrared heating?

After reading several articles about infrared heating and seeking opinions from users of this system, Mr. Konrad decided to purchase "something to try out".

“On one of the groups, I read that if I’m not sure how infrared heating performs, I can buy a heater to test and install it in one room. That’s exactly what I did. I bought a 450 W heater and installed it in the smallest room,” said our client.

The room where Mr. Konrad installed the heater is his workshop, where he spends a large part of his free time. Of course, the radiators were turned off. Initially, the resident of Krosno approached the new type of heating with skepticism, but experience showed otherwise. Thanks to being able to test how electric infrared heating works firsthand, he concluded that it is a system worth considering.

“What’s great is that I could heat just one room with infrared, and I was convinced of the whole system. If I had bought a heat pump, I wouldn’t have had that option. For someone like me who likes to plan and estimate costs, it’s a fantastic solution.”

After the heating season ended, our client began to seriously consider purchasing electric infrared heating. The occasion for this was the need to replace the flooring throughout the house. However, it should be noted that infrared heating films allow for phased installation. There’s no need to replace the flooring in the entire house – it can be done room by room. Mr. Konrad was in the process of replacing the old flooring with vinyl panels, hence the decision to replace the entire heating system.

“At first, I wanted to install the films myself because I read that it’s not rocket science. However, due to limited time, I couldn’t do it, so I ordered installers. I was honestly surprised by the speed with which everything happened. The installation, along with the start-up, took literally one day. It was amazing because I expected everything to take a week or longer.”

Investment costs

The investment cost, which includes the purchase and installation of heating films, amounts to 10,851 zł. The nominal power of the entire system is 9000 W, which is more than sufficient for a well-insulated house of 150 m2. Additionally, Mr. Konrad invested in a photovoltaic installation that further reduces his already low operating costs.

“I have a submeter installed just for heating, and that’s how I know that last year I consumed 3000 kWh of electricity. This cost me 2820 zł, which is a low price for this type of heating. On top of that, I bought photovoltaics, which further reduces my electricity consumption,” said Mr. Konrad.

In the infrared system, the biggest surprise is the convenience and thermal comfort. It’s a heating system that’s invisible but quickly warms the room to the desired temperature. Although many people may distrust infrared heating, it’s a system that truly works.

“I was surprised by how quickly the house heats up. It’s incredible that you can heat a building so quickly and cost-effectively with electricity. The installer also explained to me how to use the thermostat to keep consumption lower. During the day, when no one is home, the temperature is set to 16 degrees because I don’t want to heat an empty space. An hour before I return, the thermostat raises the temperature to 21 degrees, so when I come home, it’s already warm. This has lowered my electricity bills for heating by nearly 250 zł,” admitted our client from Krosno.

In conclusion

We were fortunate to find Mr. Konrad, as few people keep such precise measurements and statistics. It’s worth being meticulous and calculating heating costs. Anyone who cares about an efficient and economical heating system should proceed this way. Thanks to these calculations, Mr. Konrad was able to take steps that reduced his heating bills without affecting his heating comfort.

“I believe that electric heating is the future. It’s important to realize that only electricity is a source of energy that can be produced independently. You can’t independently obtain gas or coal, but you can produce electricity. Heating films have given me peace of mind and comfort. I don’t have to think about inspections of the installation, which also come with additional costs. Heating films won’t wear out in 15 years like boilers or heat pumps, so I have peace of mind for many years to come,” summarized Mr. Konrad.