Electric Floor Heating Melbourne
In-slab and under-tile heating for Melbourne homes, designed and supplied by P.A.P. Heating Solutions since 1988. ELEKTRA cable with a 20 year warranty. Free layout design and load requirements from your plans, usually within 24 hours.
Melbourne floors are cold for five months of the year. Slab-on-ground homes, tiled bathrooms and polished concrete living areas all lose heat downward, and ducted heating does very little about it. Electric floor heating warms the floor itself, on a thermostat, room by room, with no ducts, no radiators and no boiler.
P.A.P. Heating Solutions is the exclusive Australian distributor of ELEKTRA heating cable. This page covers the two systems that suit Melbourne homes, what each costs to buy and run, how a Melbourne job is put together, and which suburbs and building types suit which system. If you already have plans, send them through and the layout comes back at no cost.
Which system for a Melbourne home
There are two ELEKTRA systems and the choice comes down to one question: is the floor already there?
In-slab heating (ELEKTRA VCD35). For new homes, extensions and any slab-on-ground build. The cable is tied to the top reinforcing mesh at 200mm centres with 50mm of concrete cover before the slab is poured. The whole slab becomes the heater. Slow, even warmth across whole rooms or the whole ground floor. It suits polished concrete, tiles and most engineered timber over slab. The system is rested for 30 days after the pour before it is switched on.
Under-tile heating (ELEKTRA DM20). For renovations and existing homes. The cable is laid at 100mm spacing over the existing slab or subfloor and sits within a self-leveller or sand-cement screed layer under the tiles. It is never laid in tile adhesive. Warm-up is quick, so it runs well on a timer for mornings and evenings. Bathrooms, ensuites, kitchens, laundries and entries are the usual rooms.
Many new Melbourne homes use both: in-slab through the living areas and under-tile in the bathrooms for the faster response. Both cables carry a 20 year warranty. See the in-slab heating and under-tile heating pages for the product detail.
Why Melbourne suits electric floor heating
The climate. Melbourne has the longest heating season of the mainland capitals. Overnight minimums sit in single figures from May to September and a concrete slab holds that cold well into the day. Heating the slab itself, rather than the air above it, is the direct fix.
All-electric new homes. Since 1 January 2024, new homes in Victoria that need a planning permit must be all-electric. Gas ducted heating and gas hydronic are no longer an option for those builds. Electric in-slab heating is designed into the slab at the start, runs on the same supply as everything else in the house, and pairs with rooftop solar.
Rooftop solar. Melbourne has one of the highest rates of residential solar in the country. In-slab heating run through the middle of the day uses the household's own generation and the slab carries the warmth into the evening. Under-tile bathrooms on a timer draw for a couple of hours a day at most.
Polished concrete. Polished concrete is common in contemporary Melbourne builds and extensions, and it is cold without heating. In-slab VCD35 is tied to the mesh before the pour and the slab is finished as normal. The layout keeps the cable clear of saw cuts and expansion joints.
Period homes. Terraces and Edwardian homes in the inner suburbs were not built for warmth. Under-tile heating goes into the wet areas at renovation time without touching the rest of the house.
New builds and extensions across Melbourne
Most new Melbourne homes are slab-on-ground, and in-slab heating is fitted while the slab is being prepared. The cable is tied to the top mesh at 200mm centres, megger tested, and the slab is poured over it. Once the home is finished the slab is the heater, controlled by a thermostat and floor sensor in each zone.
This is the common choice for new builds in the growth corridors: Clyde North, Cranbourne, Officer, Pakenham, Berwick and Botanic Ridge in the south-east; Tarneit, Truganina, Point Cook, Werribee, Wyndham Vale and Rockbank in the west; Craigieburn, Mickleham, Donnybrook, Kalkallo, Wollert and Wallan in the north; and Doreen, Mernda and Yarrambat in the north-east. It is also the system for knock-down rebuilds and rear extensions in the established suburbs where a new slab is going in.
P.A.P. draws the layout from the slab plan, marks the zone loads for the electrical contractor, and supplies the cable, thermostats and floor sensors. Concrete placement and finishing remain with the builder and the concreter. Builders and electrical contractors can read the in-slab installation detail before the pour.
Renovations in the established suburbs
Under-tile heating suits bathroom and kitchen renovations where the floor already exists. The cable is laid over the slab or the timber subfloor at 100mm spacing, then the tiler covers it in self-leveller or a sand-cement screed before tiling. A bathroom takes a couple of hours to lay.
This is the usual choice for terrace and period homes in Fitzroy, Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond, Brunswick, Northcote, Thornbury, Yarraville and Williamstown; the leafy east in Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell, Balwyn, Malvern and Glen Iris; brick veneer homes in Glen Waverley, Mount Waverley, Box Hill, Doncaster, Templestowe and Ringwood; bayside homes in Brighton, Sandringham, Hampton, Beaumaris, Mentone and Mordialloc; and the north-west in Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Pascoe Vale and Preston.
The hills and the cooler districts
Homes in the Dandenong Ranges (Belgrave, Olinda, Emerald), the Yarra Ranges (Healesville, Warburton, Lilydale), the Macedon Ranges (Woodend, Kyneton, Gisborne, Romsey) and out to Ballarat and Daylesford run floor heating for longer each day than homes on the flat. Both systems suit these areas; the difference is run time, not equipment. Owners on rooftop solar generally run in-slab heating through the middle of the day.
The Mornington Peninsula (Mount Eliza, Mornington, Mount Martha, Rye, Sorrento, Flinders) and the Bellarine and Surf Coast (Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Torquay) are a mix of new builds on slab and holiday-house renovations, and P.A.P. supplies both. Geelong, Bendigo and the alpine towns are covered on the same basis: layout from plans, cable shipped to site or to the electrical contractor.
What it costs to buy
Guideline supplied-and-installed figures for under-tile heating, including GST: about $705 for a 2 square metre ensuite, $733 for 3 square metres, $845 for 4.5 square metres, $908 for 5.5 square metres, and from $1,175 for 10 square metres and over. The final figure depends on the layout, the thermostat chosen and the electrical contractor's connection.
In-slab heating is priced per job from the slab plan, because the cable length, the number of zones and the thermostats all follow the layout. Send the plan and the layout and pricing come back together, usually within 24 hours. Use the cable selection tool for a quick cable size on a single room.
What it costs to run in Melbourne
An average bathroom of about 3 square metres uses roughly 600W. At a typical Victorian rate of 27 cents per kWh that is about 16 cents per heating hour. Most owners run it four to six hours a day in winter, which is 65 cents to a dollar a day, and switch it off through summer. A 10 square metre kitchen or living area on under-tile uses roughly 2,000W, or about 54 cents per heating hour.
Whole-house in-slab heating runs for longer but at lower floor temperatures, and it is cheapest on homes with rooftop solar that run it during the day. Floor temperature is set on the thermostat and most owners run the low 20s, which is warm underfoot without heating the room like a radiator would. The full working is in the running cost guide.
Electric floor heating compared with ducted and hydronic
Ducted reverse cycle. Heats the air, not the floor. Fast, but the slab and the tiles stay cold. Gas ducted cannot go into an all-electric new home at all. Floor heating is often fitted alongside reverse cycle so the floors are warm and the air handling does the rest.
Hydronic in-slab. Pipes in the slab fed by a boiler or heat pump. Higher installed cost, plant to service, and pipe joints in concrete. Electric in-slab has no plant, no moving parts and nothing to service. The two are compared in electric versus hydronic.
Panel heaters and split systems. Cheap to buy, but they heat one spot and leave the floor cold. Under-tile heating in a bathroom costs less than a split system and is on a timer for the hours the room is used.
Floor coverings
Tiles, stone and polished concrete give the best result and are the most common in Melbourne. Engineered timber over a heated slab is fine where the flooring manufacturer rates it for floor heating. Under-tile DM20 is for tiled and stone floors laid in self-leveller or screed. Carpet and floating floors are discussed job by job; send the plan and the floor covering and the answer comes back with the layout.
How a Melbourne job is put together
Layout. Send the floor plan or slab plan. P.A.P. draws the cable layout, keeps it clear of vanities, toilets and cabinetry, and marks the zone loads for the electrical contractor. Usually back within 24 hours, at no cost.
In-slab. The cable is tied to the top mesh at 200mm centres before the pour, megger tested before and after, and the slab is poured by the builder's concreter. The thermostat is fitted off by the electrical contractor after the home is finished, and the system is rested 30 days after the pour.
Under-tile. The electrical contractor runs a draw wire at rough-in so the cold tail and floor sensor can be pulled up the wall. After waterproofing the cable is laid and tested, the tiler covers it in self-leveller or screed, the tiles go down, and the electrical contractor fits the thermostat off after the floor coverings.
Testing. The cable is megger tested before laying, after laying and after covering, and a break alarm runs on every job. Resistance readings are recorded for the warranty.
Connection. A licensed electrical contractor makes the final connection on every job. Circuit arrangement is the electrical contractor's decision; P.A.P. supplies the zone loads on the layout drawing.
Supply across Victoria
ELEKTRA cable, thermostats and floor sensors ship direct to site or to the electrical contractor anywhere in Victoria, and P.A.P. supplies through electrical wholesalers. Technical support comes from P.A.P. before, during and after the job. Builders, electrical contractors and tilers who want to be set up as regular accounts can contact sales@elektra.net.au.
Repairs and fault finding in Melbourne
If a floor heating system stops working, P.A.P. carries a thermal imaging camera and fault finding equipment that locates the exact spot in the floor. The repair is usually one or two tiles, on any brand of cable, not a whole floor. See floor heating repairs.
Frequently asked questions
Can floor heating go into an existing Melbourne home?
Yes. Under-tile DM20 is laid over the existing slab or subfloor at renovation time and covered in self-leveller or screed by the tiler before the new tiles go down. It is the system for bathrooms, kitchens and laundries in established suburbs.
Does in-slab heating work with polished concrete?
Yes. The cable is tied to the mesh before the pour and the slab is finished as normal. The layout is drawn so the cable stays clear of saw cuts and expansion joints.
How much does floor heating cost in Melbourne?
Under-tile heating for a bathroom is about $705 to $908 supplied and installed depending on size, and from $1,175 for 10 square metres and over. In-slab heating is priced from the slab plan. All figures include GST.
Is electric floor heating expensive to run in a Melbourne winter?
A bathroom on a timer costs well under a dollar a day. Whole-house in-slab costs more because it runs longer, and it is cheapest on homes with rooftop solar that run it during the day.
Can I have floor heating in an all-electric new home?
Yes. Electric in-slab heating meets the all-electric requirement for new Victorian homes that need a planning permit, and it is designed into the slab at the start.
How long before a new slab can be heated?
Thirty days after the pour.
Who installs it?
P.A.P. designs the layout and supplies the system. The cable is laid on site, the tiler or concreter covers it, and a licensed electrical contractor connects it and fits the thermostat.
What is the warranty?
Twenty years on the ELEKTRA heating cable. Thermostats carry one to three years depending on the model.
Can the cable be cut to fit the room?
No. P.A.P. selects the correct cable length from the layout. The heating cable is never cut or shortened on site.
Does it go under the vanity or the kitchen cabinets?
No. Every layout keeps clear of vanities, toilets and cabinetry.
Do you cover regional Victoria?
Yes. Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, the Mornington Peninsula, the Surf Coast and the alpine towns are supplied on the same basis as metropolitan Melbourne: layout from plans, cable shipped to site or to the electrical contractor.
What happens if the floor stops working years later?
P.A.P. locates the fault with a thermal imaging camera and fault finding equipment. The repair is usually one or two tiles, on any brand of cable.
Get a Melbourne layout
Send plans to sales@elektra.net.au or info@papheatingsolutions.com.au, or phone (02) 6242 9310. Layout design and load requirements come back at no cost, usually within 24 hours.