When performing in-home audits for our clients, I often find that a number of our clients have bathrooms with heated floors.  These are floors that have electric mats wired underneath the surface and the goal of the setup is to provide a warm floor whenever one steps in–day or night.  The homeowner usually sets up a schedule using the temperature controller on the wall so that the floor is warm through the evening, night and early morning, and then resets to the “off” temperature during the day. 

Hidden Costs of Heated Floors to Your Electric Bill

The catch is that these systems often override the schedule the homeowner has set. Why? Because the system does not have to “jump” 10-20 degrees (after being off for 10 or so hours) to get to the desired temperature set-point.  I have seen these set-points range from 73 to 80 degrees in some bathrooms depending on the homeowner’s preference.

What this means is that the homeowner believes the system is only running during the hours he or she has set.

In reality, these systems are using energy all through the day and night. 

Depending on the electricity rates and tiers that homeowner is participating in, those floors can cost $30/month or more.  Most people are astonished to find the heated floor costing them $360+/year, every year.

Solution to Lowering Your Electric Bill

The simplest solution to lower your electric bill is a pair of slippers left by the bathroom door.  A pair of $18 slippers at any big box store will save you hundreds of dollars for years to come.  Last, if you decide not to use the heated floor at all, make sure you have flipped the heated floor circuit breaker to off as well to guarantee the floor will not come back on despite the setting on the wall controller. Many of the homes I help try out slippers and forget about the heated floors in their bathroom.