Summary

Electric radiators are increasingly common in the UK as a heating solution for flats without gas, extensions where the boiler cannot cope with an added zone, and holiday lets where a maintenance-free system is preferred. They are also being retrofitted into homes converting from oil or LPG.

For a tradesperson pricing this work, the key questions are: is it a plug-in unit that only needs a nearby socket, or a hardwired unit needing a dedicated spur? And is the property's consumer unit + supply adequate for the total load — a modest four-radiator whole-house install can pull 8kW+ instantaneously, easily exceeding the free capacity of a 60A single-phase supply.

The single biggest cost driver is whether the customer wants controls that integrate (app control, thermostat, TRV-equivalent programmers). Basic on/off is a wire-and-hang job; smart controls with a central hub add £200–£600 to the whole install.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Job Type Typical Duration Total Labour Range Notes
Plug-in swap (1 radiator, existing socket) 30–60 min £60–£150 Take-down + hang new + connect
Hardwired swap (1 radiator, existing FCU) 1–1.5 hours £150–£280 Isolate, disconnect, hang, connect, test
New hardwired install (1 radiator, new FCU) 1.5–2.5 hours £280–£450 Add spur off ring, install FCU
New dedicated circuit (1 radiator) 2–4 hours £350–£650 New MCB in CU, cable run, spur or FCU
Whole-house 4-radiator swap (like-for-like) 4–6 hours £600–£1,000 Assumes existing wiring adequate
Whole-house conversion from wet system 2–4 days £2,500–£6,000+ Plus radiators, controls, CU work
Material Typical Trade Price (2026) Notes
1000W panel electric radiator £120–£280 Programmable, wall bracket included
1500W ceramic radiator (with thermostat) £180–£420 Higher-quality UK brands
2000W oil-filled radiator (smart-enabled) £280–£550 With Wi-Fi/app control
13A switched FCU (with neon) £8–£18 MK, Crabtree, BG
20A DP switch £12–£25 For dedicated circuit
2.5mm² T&E cable (per m) £1.20–£1.80 16A radial
4mm² T&E cable (per m) £2.20–£3.20 20A radial + longer runs
16A MCB / RCBO £12–£45 Depends on CU brand
Smart thermostat hub (e.g. Rointe Bianca) £120–£280 For multi-radiator control
Certificate (MWC / EIC) £30–£60 admin CPS registration cost pro rata

Detailed Guidance

Scoping the job before quoting

Always do a site visit before quoting. Phone quotes for electric radiator work miss critical details.

SITE SURVEY DECISION TREE
=========================
Existing electric radiator being replaced?
├── Plug-in → Wattage match? Socket in reach?
│   ├── Yes to both → Plug-in swap £60–£150
│   └── No → New socket needed → +£80–£180
├── Hardwired (FCU) → Circuit rating adequate?
│   ├── Yes → Direct swap £150–£280
│   └── No → Circuit upgrade needed → +£200–£450
└── New install (no existing radiator here)
    → Nearest ring circuit socket
        ├── <2m away, spur possible → £280–£450 total
        └── Requires dedicated circuit → £350–£650
        → CU capacity check FIRST

Whole-house conversion?
→ Total kW load calculation → CU + supply upgrade may be needed
→ Assume 4 rads × 1.5kW = 6kW instantaneous (nameplate)
   ├── 60A supply → OK if usage staggered; risk on peak evening
   └── 100A supply → OK for typical domestic
→ Consider off-peak (Economy 7) programming if a night-storage element used

What to check on the visit:

Labour breakdown for a typical whole-house swap

A "swap 4 existing hardwired radiators for new like-for-like on existing FCUs":

Total: ~5.5 hours. Charge at day-rate £350–£500 for a single electrician.

Where the money is lost

Circuit design for whole-house electric heating

For a whole-house electric radiator install:

Example: 4 × 1.5kW radiators = 6kW nameplate. At 0.75 diversity = 4.5kW. On single-phase 240V = 18.75A. A 20A radial with FCUs at each unit works — but only if load is genuinely diversified. If all four are on 7am–9am with the timer, no diversity applies.

Controls and integration

Base level: on/off with wall-mounted programmer per radiator. Mid level: TRV-equivalent electronic thermostats per unit with weekly schedules. High level: hub-controlled with app, adaptive learning, geofencing.

Smart integration options:

Charge separately for controls setup — 30 minutes per radiator for wireless pairing + weekly schedule programming + customer walk-through.

Compliance and certification

For any fixed electric radiator work notifiable under Part P:

Certificate to customer must include:

Non-notification of Part P work is an offence and can void the customer's building insurance.

Warranty and workmanship

For bathrooms, note the BS 7671 Section 701 zone requirements — electric radiators in bathroom Zone 2 require IPX4 minimum and 30mA RCD; Zone 3 requires IPX1 minimum. Cross-reference bathroom zones and ip ratings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just plug in a 3kW radiator?

3kW = 12.5A at 240V. On a 13A socket, technically yes — but marginal. Most manufacturers recommend hardwiring for any radiator ≥2kW to reduce plug/socket wear and heat build-up. Long-term plug-in operation at 3kW causes socket faceplate discolouration and eventual failure. Hardwire to a FCU is the safe choice.

Do I need to notify Building Control for a like-for-like radiator swap?

Not for like-for-like replacement on an existing circuit (Regulation 2013 amendment took most kitchens and outside work out of Part P notification, but not electric heating). Direct swap on existing FCU with no circuit change = not notifiable but MWC still issued. New circuit = notifiable.

What consumer unit space do I need?

For a whole-house conversion, allow one MCB or RCBO per major circuit (each radiator or shared radial). Also consider swapping the CU for a metal-clad 17th-edition all-RCBO board if the existing is old plastic — expected life 25+ years on a new CU vs the risk of adding to an ageing board.

Are ceramic vs panel vs oil-filled meaningfully different for the customer?

Yes:

Match to customer usage pattern: shift-worker/holiday-let = panel; family home with constant-on = oil-filled or ceramic.

What about running costs for the customer?

Be transparent: electric radiators use 100% of input as heat but electricity is ~4× the unit cost of gas. A 6kW installed heating load running 6 hours daily on standard tariff = ~£8–£12/day in winter. Off-peak tariffs (Economy 7, dynamic price) can cut this by 40–60% if the customer buys thermal-storage radiators.

Regulations & Standards