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Floor heating running cost

There is much that a client can do to minimise running cost:

At design stage:

Long, narrow or irregular shapes, expose more external wall for any given floor area, compared to something approaching a square shape. Two storey designs are even better.

If practical, locate the garage on the Western side, providing a barrier against the afternoon sun to improve your summer comfort.

Ideally, buildings in the Southern hemisphere should have good Northern exposure. With standard 600mm eaves, the sun will not contact the Northern glass in summer months, but will extend at least 2 metres into the room in winter.

Thermal insulation

Requirements for thermal insulation are now specified in the Building Code of Australia.  These should be viewed as the minimum. To maintain warmth in a building, you are paying for the energy used to replace that which is lost through the walls, floor and ceiling.  Glass areas are significant in heat loss and should not be unnecessarily large. Heavy, close fitting drapes will reduce this loss.

Since our climate is more moderate than parts of the world where double glazing is used, the price difference has been considerable here. However, some manufacturers are now producing more competitive double glazing systems and will continue to do so as the pressures for energy control develop.

Temperature control

With the energy loss being proportional to the average temperature difference between inside and outside, every degree we alter the thermostat effects our running cost by approximately 15% The use of programmable thermostats will further improve the running cost.

You take control!

The Heatec programmable thermostat can switch ON/OFF or between different temperature settings according to time of day, minimising your energy consumption.

Zoning

With the floor heating split into separately-controlled zones, you enjoy individual control of each area.

Approximate costs:

Small installations: eg. Bathrooms.

With an average of 6 hrs/day “ON” time, allow $3 pw

Larger areas:

On the controlled electricity tariff, approximately $0.38 per sq.m per week. At day rate, approximately $0.55 per sq.m per week.