Electric underfloor heating systems use a conductive cable laid under the floor which is heated by passing an electrical current through the wire (similar to the heating element in an electric kettle).

The heating cable can be a continuous wire laid in a pattern onto the sub floor of insulation board, or a series of preformed matting containing the heating element.

The system is normally controlled by a series of thermostats placed one per zone (or room) to independantly control the temperature in each zone.

With electric underfloor heating there is no need for boilers or radiators and as a consequence it is ideally suited for zone heating and can be used as the sole heat source with careful planning.