Heating · Infrared

Infrared Panel Heaters UK 2026: Running Costs, Pros and Cons, and the Best Buys

Infrared panels are often sold as a cheaper way to heat a home. The truth is more useful: they cost the same per unit as any electric heater, but used the right way, in the right room, they can cut what you spend. Here's when they save money, when they don't, and the panels worth buying.

Prices checked 27 October 2026

100%
Efficient, like every plug-in heater
152.7p
An hour for a 580W panel at full power
9–10m²
What a 580W panel heats
7 years
Longest warranty on our list

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The short answer

They heat you, not the air. Like sunshine, infrared warms people, walls and furniture directly, so a room can feel warm at a lower air temperature.
They save money as a top-up. Heating one room you're sitting in, such as a home office, while the rest of the house stays cooler, is where they earn their keep.
Low wattage helps. A 580W panel costs about 152.7p an hour at full power, against about 526.4p for a 2kW fan heater or oil radiator.
Not a cheap replacement for gas central heating. Electricity costs about four times as much as gas per unit, so heating a whole house this way usually costs more.
A heat pump is far cheaper to run. It makes two to four times more heat per unit of electricity than any infrared panel.

Our top pick

Mirrorstone Prime With Remote

300W to 1,100W · built-in thermostat and remote · 7-year warranty · Full review ↓

From £183.78
Check price at Surya →

Best value with a thermostat

NXT Gen Infrared Panel

350W to 1,200W · thermostat, remote and open-window detection · Full review ↓

From £174.08
Check price at Surya →

Prices from Surya Heating on 27 October 2026, during a sale.

White infrared panel heater mounted on the wall of a UK home office above a desk
A home office is the classic use: heat the room you're in, not the whole house.

How Infrared Panel Heating Works

Most heaters warm the air, which then warms you. Infrared panels are radiant heaters that work more like the sun: the panel gives off far infrared heat, the long-wave kind you feel rather than see, which warms the people, walls and furniture in front of it directly. The panel itself doesn't glow, and it makes no noise because there's no fan.

Because the walls and furniture absorb the heat and give it back slowly, the room can feel comfortable at a lower air temperature than with a convector heater. That's where any saving comes from: not from the panel being more efficient, but from needing less heat to feel warm, and from heating only the room you're using.

Are Infrared Panel Heaters Efficient?

Every plug-in electric heater, infrared or not, turns 100% of the electricity it uses into heat. So a 580W infrared panel and a 580W convector make the same amount of heat. Claims that a panel is "more than 100% efficient" don't stand up: the saving, where there is one, comes from how you use it.

What the Energy Saving Trust says, in its October 2026 guidance:

A well-controlled infrared system probably costs less to run than standard electric panel heaters, and may beat storage heaters or electric underfloor heating, though there's little research on it.
Infrared works best as a top-up for specific rooms, or a portable heater for the room you're in while the rest of the home is kept cooler.
Electricity costs about four times as much as gas per unit, so replacing gas central heating throughout the house with infrared isn't recommended.
Heat pumps need two to four times less electricity than infrared for the same heat, so they're far more likely to save money if you're replacing gas.
Cooler surfaces and less air movement can lead to condensation, damp and mould in cold spots away from the panel.

What Infrared Panels Cost to Run

Running cost is simply the panel's wattage times your electricity price. At the October to December 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh, this is what each size costs an hour at full power:

PanelCost per hour8 hours a day, for 30 days
300W79.0p£189.50
350W92.1p£221.09
450W118.4p£284.26
580W152.7p£366.37
700W184.2p£442.18
900W236.9p£568.51
1,200W315.8p£758.02
2kW fan heater or oil radiator526.4p£1263.36

At full power. With a thermostat the panel switches off once the room is warm, so real costs are lower. Your own cost depends on your tariff: see our Octopus tariffs compared.

Always use a thermostat. A panel without one runs flat out until you switch it off. Most of the panels below have one built in. If you buy one that doesn't, add a plug-in thermostat.

When Infrared Heating Saves You Money

A home office or study used during the day, when the central heating would otherwise be on for the whole house.
A room the central heating doesn't reach, such as a loft room, extension or garden office.
Bathrooms, where a mirror panel heats the room and keeps the mirror clear.
Renters and flats on electric heating, where a portable panel is a cheaper way to heat the room you're in than a 2kW heater.
Your only heating, throughout a gas-heated home. It will almost certainly cost more than your boiler.
Big, draughty rooms, where the heat you feel depends on the air too. A hybrid panel that also heats the air suits these better.

Comparing a heater with your central heating for one room? We work through the sums in electric heater vs central heating.

The Best Infrared Panel Heaters

All six are from Surya Heating, a UK specialist that sells infrared panels direct, including the German-made Mirrorstone range. Prices are Surya's on 27 October 2026, during a sale, so they may change. We compared the makers' specifications and owner reviews; we haven't tested these panels ourselves.

1. Mirrorstone Prime With Remote (300–1100W)

Best Overall
Price
From £183.78
Sizes
300W to 1,100W
Thermostat
Built in, with remote
Warranty
7 years on the panel

The panel we'd buy for most rooms. Mirrorstone's Prime range is made in the EU, has a frameless design that mounts on a wall or ceiling, and comes in six sizes from 300W to 1,100W, so you can match it to the room rather than buy too big.

The remote controls a built-in thermostat, so the panel switches off once the room is warm. It's rated IP44 for humid rooms, and the panel carries a 7-year warranty (the thermostat part has 2 years). With more than 100 reviews on Surya's site, it's also the best-reviewed panel here.

7-year warrantyBuilt-in thermostatIP44
Our verdict: Our rating: 4.5/5. The best mix of warranty, controls and choice of size. Pick the smallest wattage that suits the room.

2. NXT Gen Infrared Panel (350–1200W)

Best Value With a Thermostat
Price
From £174.08
Sizes
350W to 1,200W
Thermostat
Built in, with remote
Warranty
2 years

Surya's own white panel with the controls you need built in: an electronic thermostat with a remote, plus open-window detection, which cuts the heat if it senses a sudden drop in temperature from an open window.

It's 22mm deep, rated IP54 against splashes, and mounts on a wall or ceiling. Surya rates the 580W version for rooms of about 9 to 10m², at £219.96 in the sale. The warranty is shorter than the Mirrorstone's, at 2 years.

Open-window detectionIP542-year warranty
Our verdict: Our rating: 4/5. A cheaper way to get a panel with proper controls. Choose the Mirrorstone if the longer warranty matters to you.

3. Mirrorstone Air Infrared + Convection (600–1400W)

Best for Bigger Rooms
Price
From £280.13
Sizes
600W, 1,000W, 1,400W
Thermostat
Built in, with remote
Warranty
7 years

A hybrid: it gives off infrared heat like the others, but also warms the air passing over it, the way a convector does. That makes it a better fit for larger or draughtier rooms, where heating the air matters too.

It has the same 7-year warranty and remote-controlled thermostat as the Prime, with nearly 100 reviews. It's rated only IP24, so it isn't for bathrooms, and the bigger sizes cost more to run: the 1,400W model is about 368.5p an hour at full power.

Heats the air too7-year warrantyNot for bathrooms
Our verdict: Our rating: 4/5. The one to choose for a living room or a large, draughty room. For a small room, the Prime is cheaper to buy and run.

4. Classic Infrared Panel (180–1200W)

Cheapest
Price
From £92.79
Sizes
180W to 1,200W
Thermostat
Add your own
Warranty
2 years

Surya's basic white panel and the cheapest way into infrared, with nearly 100 reviews across its sizes. It's IP54 rated, 22mm deep and mounts on a wall or ceiling. The 580W size is £167.47 in the sale and suits rooms of about 9 to 10m².

The catch is there's no thermostat or remote, so on its own it runs at full power until you switch it off. Budget for a plug-in thermostat, such as the Mirrorstone RF programmable thermostat at £60.81, which brings the cost close to the NXT Gen.

Lowest priceIP54No thermostat
Our verdict: Our rating: 3.5/5. Good value only if you add a thermostat. If not, the NXT Gen is the better buy.

5. Portable Classic Infrared Panel (180–700W)

Best for Renters
Price
From £109.96
350W model
£140.55
Fitting
Freestanding
Warranty
2 years

The same panel on feet, so it needs no drilling and moves with you. That makes it a good fit for renters, or for heating a desk area in a home office.

The 350W model costs about 92.1p an hour at full power, far less than a 2kW heater, though a panel this small warms only the area in front of it. It has no thermostat, but works with Surya's plug-in thermostats. The Energy Saving Trust advises switching portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed.

No fittingIP54No thermostat
Our verdict: Our rating: 3.5/5. A low-cost way to keep warm at a desk without heating the house. Add a thermostat or a timer plug.

6. Mirrored Wi-Fi Infrared Panel (320–700W)

Best for Bathrooms
Price
From £235.14
450W model
£285.29
Control
Wi-Fi and remote
Warranty
2 years

A mirror that heats the bathroom and doesn't steam up. The 450W model is 595 by 795mm, 11mm deep, and Surya says it warms about 7.5m², which covers most bathrooms.

You control it by remote or Wi-Fi, but there's no built-in thermostat. Surya's listing quotes both IP54 and IP65 for it, so confirm the rating with Surya before fitting near a shower, and use a qualified electrician for any bathroom installation.

No steamed-up mirrorWi-FiCheck IP rating
Our verdict: Our rating: 3.5/5. Neat if you're refitting a bathroom. It costs more than a plain panel of the same power.

Picture panels: a heater that looks like art

If you'd rather not have a white panel on the wall, Surya sells infrared panels printed with a picture, so the heater hangs like a canvas. Its nature range alone has 48 designs, from sunsets and lakes to forests, and there are artistic, urban, animal and space ranges too. You can also have your own photo printed on one.

They're built on the Prime panel and work in exactly the same way, so the advice above on size and thermostats still applies. The smallest 300W, 600 by 400mm picture panels were £153.11 in Surya's sale on 27 October 2026.

Infrared heating panel printed with an orange sunset over a river and pine trees
A 300W picture panel from Surya's nature range. Image: Surya Heating.

What Size Infrared Panel Do You Need?

Surya's own guidance gives a rough starting point: about 450W for 7.5m², and 580W for 9 to 10m². Go bigger for high ceilings, poor insulation or a north-facing room, and consider two smaller panels in a long room so the heat reaches everyone.

RoomRough sizePanel to start with
Bathroom or small studyUp to 7.5m²350W–450W
Bedroom or home office9–10m²580W
Larger bedroom12–14m²700W–900W
Living room15m² and upTwo panels, or a hybrid

The first two rows are Surya's figures; the rest scale up from them. Ask the seller to size a whole room if you're unsure.

Ceiling-Mounted Infrared Panels

Most infrared panels can go on the ceiling as well as the wall, including the Mirrorstone Prime, the NXT Gen and the Classic above (the NXT Gen and Nexus panels are sold with a ceiling bracket option). Because the heat radiates downwards over the whole room, a ceiling panel is a good choice where wall space is taken up by furniture, kitchen units or tiles, and in bathrooms where it's out of the way of water.

Nothing blocks the heat, so furniture placement doesn't matter.
Heats the floor area evenly, and frees up the walls.
Harder to reach, so choose one with a remote or a separate wall thermostat.
Less effective with very high ceilings, where more of the heat is spent before it reaches you.
A ceiling panel can't trail a plug lead, so you'll want an electrician to wire it in.

Infrared Panels or a Heat Pump?

If you're replacing a gas boiler, a heat pump is the cheaper home to run. Heat pumps move heat from outside rather than making it, so they need two to four times less electricity than infrared panels for the same warmth, according to the Energy Saving Trust. They also heat your hot water, which infrared panels can't.

Infrared costs far less to buy and fit, needs no outdoor unit and suits flats, so it still has a place: as a top-up for rooms a heat pump or boiler doesn't reach, or where a heat pump isn't possible. See our heat pump guide to compare.

Infrared Panel Heaters: Pros and Cons (and the Disadvantages of Radiant Heat)

Heats people and surfaces directly, so a room can feel warm at a lower air temperature.
Silent, slim and low maintenance, with no moving parts.
Cheap to buy compared with central heating, and simple to fit.
Low wattages, so they cost much less an hour than a 2kW heater.
No more efficient than any other electric heater per unit of electricity.
Much dearer to run than gas or a heat pump across a whole house.
Furniture in front of the panel blocks the heat.
Can leave cold spots, which can lead to condensation and mould.

Infrared Panel Heater FAQs

How do infrared heating panels work?

They give off far infrared radiant heat that warms people, walls and furniture directly, rather than heating the air first. The walls and furniture then release the heat slowly, so a room can feel warm at a lower air temperature. There is no fan, so they make no noise.

Are infrared panel heaters cheaper to run?

Not per unit of electricity: every plug-in heater turns 100% of its electricity into heat. They can be cheaper in practice because they heat you directly, so you can keep the room cooler, and because they're usually lower wattage. A 580W panel costs about 152.7p an hour at full power, against about 526.4p for a 2kW heater.

How much does an infrared panel cost to run?

Multiply the wattage by your electricity price. At the 26.32p price cap, a 350W panel costs about 92.1p an hour, a 580W panel about 152.7p and a 900W panel about 236.9p, at full power. A thermostat cuts this once the room is warm.

Are infrared heaters more efficient than radiators?

Not than a gas boiler and radiators, which run on gas at about a quarter of the price of electricity. Compared with other electric heaters, the Energy Saving Trust says a well-controlled infrared system probably costs less to run, though there's little research on it.

Can infrared panels replace central heating?

They can, but it usually costs more to run than gas, and they can't heat your hot water. The Energy Saving Trust advises against replacing gas central heating throughout the house with infrared, and suggests a heat pump instead.

Is an infrared panel better than a heat pump?

For running costs, no. A heat pump needs two to four times less electricity for the same heat. Infrared is cheaper to buy and fit, so it suits single rooms, flats and homes where a heat pump isn't possible.

What size infrared panel do I need?

As a rough guide, about 450W for a 7.5m² room and 580W for 9 to 10m². Go bigger for high ceilings or poor insulation, or use two panels in a long room.

Can you use infrared panels in a bathroom?

Yes, if the panel has a suitable IP rating for its position. Check the rating with the seller, and use a qualified electrician for bathroom installations.

Can infrared panels be mounted on the ceiling?

Yes, most can, and ceiling panels heat the whole floor area without furniture getting in the way. Choose one with a remote or wall thermostat, as it will be hard to reach, and use an electrician to wire it in.

What are the disadvantages of infrared heaters?

They cost as much per unit of electricity as any electric heater, so heating a whole house with them is dearer than gas or a heat pump. Furniture blocks the heat, they can leave cold spots that lead to condensation, and they can't heat hot water.

Do infrared heaters cause damp?

They can, if they leave parts of a room cold. The Energy Saving Trust warns that cooler surfaces and less air movement can lead to condensation, damp and mould. Keep the room ventilated and position panels so the heat reaches the whole room.

Published 27 October 2026. Prices and specifications from Surya Heating on 27 October 2026, during a sale. Running costs at Ofgem's October to December 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh, at full power. Efficiency, cost and safety guidance from the Energy Saving Trust. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.