Does infrared heating work in offices and workshops?

An electric infrared panel is a fixed electric heater that sends out radiant heat. Whether it works in a given room depends on where people stand, how tall the room is and how the running cost compares with the alternatives.

How does infrared heating work?

The Ecodesign regulations describe an electric radiant heater as one in which the heat emitting element is directed towards the place of use so that its thermal radiation directly warms the subjects to be heated. HSE defines thermal radiation as the heat that radiates from a warm object, and lists radiant temperature among six factors that decide comfort; it adds that air temperature alone is not an accurate indicator.

A CIBSE Journal module on radiant heating explains the consequence: a greater radiant contribution means a lower air temperature is acceptable for the same comfort, and the radiant system heats the air only afterwards, through secondary convection. The module is written about hot-water radiant panels, so read it as an explanation of the principle rather than of electric products.

Where does infrared heating work well?

The principle favours places where the people are in known positions and the air is hard to keep warm. Examples, not rules: a workshop bench, a reception desk by a door, a loading bay. The module says a room with high ventilation rates or significant infiltration can still hold reasonable operative temperatures with radiant heating, because the radiant input is unaffected by airflow. The Energy Technology List (ETL), writing about gas and oil-fired radiant units, adds that radiant heating gives more control over when the heat is on and where it is directed, so the whole space need not be heated.

Gas radiant tubes in tall sheds are a different product and are covered in the warehouse heating guide.

Where does it struggle?

An open-plan office needs similar conditions across the floor. The ETL says a radiant heater should be placed directly in line with the person or object needing the heat, so partitions, shelving and tall equipment can leave cold spots. CIBSE's module says comfort needs no excessive vertical air temperature differences, extreme temperature asymmetry or excessive air movement. A proposal should therefore state the air and radiant temperatures expected at each work position, not just a panel rating.

The legal duty stays the same. The Workplace Regulations require a reasonable temperature, and HSE says the approved code of practice suggests at least 16°C, or 13°C for rigorous physical effort. Radiant designs have to show how that is met.

What do the Building Regulations expect?

Approved Document L says electric radiant heaters should have automatic zone control or automatic occupancy control through presence detection. It treats electric resistance heating as 100% efficient, with no minimum efficiency set. The 2026 edition, which takes effect in England on 24 March 2027, adds that electric radiant heating should not be assumed to have an efficiency above 100%. On that basis any saving has to come from delivering less heat, not from the panel converting electricity better.

How does the running cost compare with gas and heat pumps?

DESNZ's annual report gives average non-domestic prices across all size bands, including the Climate Change Levy: 24.3 pence per kWh for electricity and 5.3 pence for gas in 2025 (provisional). A site's own contract will differ, so treat the sums as illustrations.

For example, suppose a 300 square metre workshop needs 30,000 kWh of heat a year. Assume a gas boiler at 90% efficiency and a heat pump with a seasonal coefficient of performance (SCOP) of 3.5. The Energy Saving Trust explains that a CoP of 3.0 means three units of heat for every unit of electricity, and that the seasonal figure averages efficiency across the whole year. The efficiencies are assumptions, not measurements.

Scenario	Energy bought a year	Illustrative cost a year
Gas boiler, 30,000 kWh of heat	33,333 kWh gas	£1,767
Heat pump, SCOP 3.5, same heat	8,571 kWh electricity	£2,083
Infrared panels, same heat delivered	30,000 kWh electricity	£7,290
Infrared panels, half the heat delivered	15,000 kWh electricity	£3,645
Infrared panels, a quarter of the heat delivered	7,500 kWh electricity	£1,823

Gas heat at 90% costs about 5.9 pence per kWh delivered, against 24.3 pence for electric resistance heat. To match the gas boiler, infrared panels would have to deliver the same comfort with about 24% of the kWh; to match the heat pump they would need about 29%. In a large, cold workshop where only two benches are occupied, a big cut in delivered heat is plausible. The sums show how large it has to be, which is the figure a supplier should evidence with test data, not a headline percentage. The heat pump versus gas boiler guide covers that comparison in more depth.

What should a proposal include?

1. A heat loss calculation for the space, and the panel kW and positions relative to each work position.
2. Presence detection or zone control, as Approved Document L expects.
3. Expected air and radiant temperatures at the work positions.
4. A running-cost model using the site's own tariff, with every assumption stated.
5. The electrical supply capacity needed; the electrical capacity guide explains the checks.

The same questions apply when a boiler is being replaced; the commercial boiler replacement guide covers what drives that cost, and the commercial heating systems page compares every type. Readers can send an enquiry through the form on this page.

Sources

All pages checked 22 October 2026.

• DESNZ: annual report, performance report (updated 19 August 2026); Energy Technology List, radiant and warm air heaters.
• HSE: thermal comfort; temperature, what the law says. legislation.gov.uk: Workplace Regulations reg 7; Ecodesign Regulation 2015/1188.
• MHCLG: Approved Document L Volume 2, 2021 edition and 2026 edition.
• CIBSE Journal: radiant heating module (November 2014). Energy Saving Trust: heat pumps guide (updated 20 October 2026).

Common questions

Is infrared heating cheaper to run than gas?

Not per kWh of heat. At DESNZ's 2025 provisional averages, gas heat from a 90% efficient boiler costs about 5.9 pence per kWh against 24.3 pence for electric resistance heat. Infrared only wins if the design needs less than about a quarter of the heat, which depends on the building and has to be evidenced.

Do infrared panels heat the air?

Mainly people, objects and surfaces. The CIBSE Journal module says a radiant system heats surfaces and objects directly and then heats the air through secondary convection, which is why a lower air temperature can be acceptable.

Can infrared panels be the only heating in a workplace?

That is a design decision. The reasonable-temperature duty applies, HSE guidance suggests at least 16°C or 13°C for rigorous physical effort, and HSE says air temperature alone is not an accurate indicator. The designer should show how the radiant and air temperatures meet the duty at each work position.

What controls should electric radiant heaters have?

Approved Document L says electric radiant heaters should have automatic zone control, where they provide zone heating, or automatic occupancy control through presence detection.

Related guides

• What does a commercial boiler replacement cost?
• Commercial underfloor heating: costs and where it works
• Do destratification fans cut heating costs?
• How to heat a warehouse: warm air, radiant or destratification?