Thank you for your detailed response and for sharing your perspective. You’ve raised some excellent points, particularly regarding the current limitations of RdSAP and how IR heaters are treated in EPC assessments. This can be a source of confusion for many homeowners who are unfamiliar with how these systems work and their impact on energy performance.

You’re correct that FIR heaters are currently categorised as standard electric heaters under RdSAP, which can negatively affect an EPC rating when replacing gas systems. This is primarily because RdSAP heavily favours gas heating due to its lower carbon intensity in the UK’s current energy grid assumptions. While IR heating alone might negatively impact an EPC, integrating it into an innovative, energy-efficient system can mitigate this and, in some cases, improve the rating. The combination of reduced energy consumption, smart controls, and renewable energy has the potential to achieve a more favourable EPC outcome. Still, success largely depends on how the improvements are documented and assessed under current EPC methodologies.

Your personal experience of lower energy bills with IR heaters is promising and highlights their efficiency compared to older electric technologies like bar fires. However, as you rightly point out, this benefit does not yet translate to a better EPC rating under the current framework.

For IR heating to gain wider adoption and recognition, updates to RdSAP that account for their operational efficiency are essential. In the meantime, homeowners considering these systems should carefully weigh the trade-offs between their real-world benefits—such as comfort and cost savings—and their potential impact on EPC ratings, especially if they plan to sell or rent their property.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience—it’s valuable to hear firsthand insights into how these systems perform in real-life settings!

*’ This type of heating does not depend on convection to transfer heat, so it does not heat the air in your home. Therefore giving a better EPC rating.

Furthermore, many other benefits come alongside this type of heating, such as improvement in RDSAP and SAP ratings due to less energy used for ventilation.’

Most home owners are not aware of what rdSAP & SAP are. Currently Far Infrared Panels are not included in rdSAP so will be treated as a standard electric heater. Replacing gas with these will dramatically impact an EPC negatively.

I do have far infrared heaters myself and can confirm that they did lower my bills compared to a standard electric bar fire, however they are not a way to obtain a better EPC rating currently.

That’s a loaded question; it goes a small way in the right direction. It all depends on where and how the electrical power is made that supplies the IR Heaters; however, if it does score, the heat is almost instance, so there is no build-up time to heat the room, etc., therefore saving energy, lower emission etc., hope that helps.