Infrared is something we are increasingly seeing as a choice for landlords renovating their properties. Why is it so popular? Let’s take a look at some of the big plus points that make infrared an obvious solution.
Infrared is inexpensive to install
Where installing a gas system or a heat pump can be really expensive, infrared needn’t be. A 900 watt heater can heat 20 square meters in a well insulated flat, so you can potentially install infrared for a 1 bed flat for under £1,000. That includes the cost of the panels themselves, and the labour cost of installation. This compares favourably with many other heating systems.
The price is good, but perhaps more importantly it is a really easy system to install. You are looking at a few hours work for your electrician to wire it in, and away you go. A boiler for example is going to take a couple of days, and a system with radiators will take even longer. That is pretty disruptive to your tenant, whilst a few hours for an electrician makes infrared a much easier install for the tenant.
Infrared works in a big house as much as a flat
Whether you are renting out a big detached property, or a small studio flat, infrared scales really well. You will pay for the heating per square meter, so heating 100 square meters is going to be near enough half the price of 50. If you install a boiler, that install cost is still high, even for the smallest flats, because boiler prices don’t get much cheaper as you go from a 3 bed semi to a 1 bed flat.
Installing radiators cost around £200-400 per unit, depending on type and size, so getting a new central heating system is going to be pretty expensive. Infrared needs only the emitter unit, rather than separate radiators and boiler unit, so you are saving on cost and space – a real advantage in a smaller property.
Great control of the heating
Something we often hear from landlords is that their electricity bills are so high. The response to this often is that the tenant has such poor control of their heating that they leave their heating on too long, even opening the windows in winter to cool off! Infrared is really easy to add a thermostat or a programmer to. Plus you can actually zone out each room or area. This is perfect for a landlord renting out individual rooms as each tenant can control their own room.
Maintenance – No more emergency call outs
No landlords wants to get that call from a tenant or a managing agent to say that the heating has packed up and you need to pay for an emergency call out. Unreliable heating systems create spiralling costs and lead to unhappy tenants. Infrared is such a simple technology that it very rarely breaks down. There are no moving parts, and even the budget panels come with a 5 year warranty, you really shouldn’t have to have a repairman visit for a very long time. Nor do you have to worry about annual gas checks that you have with a gas boiler.
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