When it comes to heating your bathroom, it’s worth putting some thought into what the best options for you are.

UNDERFLOOR HEATING

If you are embarking on a new build or a renovation, you may want to consider under floor heating.

To start with… what a luxury! Who doesn’t love the feel of toasty warm tiles first thing on a chilly winters’ morning. It’s also adding buyer appeal if that is something you are considering for the future.

But the benefits of underfloor heating go much further than good feelings and bragging rights. With the right system and proper use, it is much more energy efficient than what you may expect… in fact, it’s much cheaper to run than AC, a radiator, or a heat light. Due to the even heat distribution across the floor, it is much more effective at heating the whole room than other heat sources. Lower energy consumption means lower heating bills. If you are lucky enough to have solar panels for your home this is even better.

Something else you may not realise until you’ve experienced the difference between having heated floors or not… The flow on effect from having that even distribution of heat means less moisture in the air, dry towels and no mould!

So what’s the downfall? The cost to install underfloor heating can be the deal breaker for some… but don’t rule it out before you’ve had it priced up. We have seen heat light units almost the same price and they cost much more to run.

HEATED TOWEL RAILS

Similar to underfloor heating, due to the electrical requirements, heated towel rails are only an option when doing a renovation or new build. They too add an undeniable touch of luxury and the joy of a soft warm towel when you get out of the shower!

Keeping your towel warm and dry can also help to reduce the humidity in the bathroom and help prevent mould and mildew. They can also, surprisingly, help a little with heating the room, the extent of which would be determined by the size of the room and the size and quality of the rail.

Heated towel rails will vary in price, size, quality, energy efficiency and will require addition electrician costs to install. They can also be a feature focal point with the aesthetics on a lot of new products being absolutely beautiful.

3 IN 1 HEAT/ LIGHT/ FAN

Still very much around, and definitely come a long way in aesthetics, is the 3 in 1 heat, light and fan combos- the most common brand still being the IXL.

Initially thought to be the “cheaper option” for heating a bathroom, is now definitely questionable. Although you can still purchase the older style, less expensive units, the modern version can be up there with the cost of underfloor heating, and the cost to run them/ energy efficiency is not great.

They are often the choice for those who just want a quick and simple warm blast on themselves for when they get out of the shower during winter and don’t want the hassle of thinking ahead and pre-heating like is needed for underfloor heating and / or heated towel rails.

Some like to have a combination or all 3 of these heating solutions and that’s ok too… just weigh up what works best for you.