The most common question we hear on a first call is also the simplest: what will it cost me? The answer depends on three choices system type, floor area and how you'll run it but none of them needs to be a mystery. Here is the arithmetic we walk every customer through.
The three numbers that matter
Every underfloor heating quote is really three numbers stacked together: hardware, installation and running cost. Get all three before comparing suppliers, because a cheap mat with an expensive habit is no bargain.
Hardware
Electric heating mats for a typical bathroom start around ₹1,150–1,650 per square metre, depending on whether you need a self-adhesive mat for tile or a foil system for laminate. Water-based systems cost more upfront roughly ₹1,700–2,100 per square metre but repay the difference in running cost if you're heating a whole home all winter.
Installation
For electric systems, installation is usually 30–40% of hardware cost, including the thermostat wiring and a levelling pour. Hydronic systems need a manifold, a heat source connection and balancing, so budget closer to 60%.
Running cost
This is where insulation quietly decides everything.
An insulated bathroom floor in Delhi costs about the same to run per evening as a ceiling fan does in summer. An uninsulated one can cost double.
On a metered test in our Gurugram demo home, a 4 m² insulated bathroom floor drew roughly 0.6 units per evening of typical use under ₹6 at current tariffs. Skipping the ₹380/m² insulation board pushed that past ₹11. Over five winters, the "saving" on insulation costs you many times over.
A worked example
| Room | Area | System | Hardware + install | Typical winter month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom | 4 m² | StickyMat 200W | ₹14,000–18,000 | ₹150–250 |
| Bedroom | 12 m² | WarmFoil under laminate | ₹36,000–48,000 | ₹400–700 |
| Whole home | 120 m² | AquaBoard hydronic + heat pump | ₹4.2–5.5 lakh | ₹2,500–4,000 |
Prices assume insulation boards under every system which we consider non-negotiable and Delhi-NCR electricity tariffs.
Where people overspend
Two mistakes inflate budgets needlessly. The first is heating floor you never stand on: under wardrobes, beds and kitchen islands. A good layout drawing removes 15–20% of the heated area, and the cost with it. The second is buying a whole-home electric system for a cold-climate house that runs heating six months a year at that duty cycle, hydronic wins decisively.
Getting a real number
Generic per-square-foot rates are a starting point, not a quote. Floor build-up, subfloor material and your electricity tariff all move the answer. Send us a floor plan and we'll return a room-by-room costing with running estimates for your city free, and usually within two working days.
Written by Arjun Mehta
Founder & CEO
Part of the ProWarm India team designing and installing radiant heating across the country since 2012. Meet the team.
