How much does patio heating cost? Three options compared

How much does patio heating cost? More than the purchase price alone. You also pay for energy, maintenance, storage and your team's time. Below you can see for each option where the money goes, so that you can compare gas heaters, electric heaters and heated cushions fairly.

How much does patio heating cost: the four cost items

Whichever form you choose, the costs fall into four groups:

1. Purchase or deposit: the heater or the cushion itself.
2. Energy: gas, electricity or charging batteries.
3. Maintenance and replacement: repairs, wear, new parts.
4. Labour: the time your team spends setting up, swapping and clearing away.

Anyone who looks only at the purchase price often forgets the last three.

Gas heater: purchase plus gas

With a gas heater you pay for the heater and then, on an ongoing basis, for gas bottles or a gas connection. Consumption depends on how long the heaters burn, even when nobody is sitting under them. Also allow time for changing and safely storing bottles. Pay attention to the rules as well: more and more municipalities are restricting gas heaters, which means an investment can lose its value sooner. Read more in Gas patio heating: what is still allowed?

Electric heater: purchase plus electricity and installation

An electric heater does not need gas, but it does need a power connection on the terrace. That often means installation costs and cables. The heater warms from above, so in windy weather part of the heat is lost. Here too, everyone is equally warm, whether the guest feels cold or not.

Heated cushions: a fixed amount per month

With HeatUup heated seat cushions the calculation is simple:

• Deposit per cushion: € 50 for Olefin and Paris, € 60 for Sheepskin.
• Per month: € 5 per cushion, including battery, service and warranty.
• Charging station: € 200 each, one-off, one per ten cushions.
• Optional: an extra battery for € 50 each and an annual refresh for € 50 per cushion.

The heat agreement runs for 36 months, with a minimum of 10 cushions. All prices are excl. VAT.

Worked example: 20 seats

Suppose you want to heat 20 seats with Olefin cushions:

Item	Amount
Deposit 20 cushions	€ 1,000
2 charging stations	€ 400
Total upfront	€ 1,400
Per month	€ 100

With the calculator you can see straight away what it costs for your own number of seats. You can read more about the battery and the charging station on the hardware page.

Look at the return

The question is not only what heating costs, but what a full terrace brings in. Tests with restaurants show that heated cushions extend the terrace season by 6 to 8 weeks. Every extra afternoon or evening with an occupied terrace adds to your turnover. Weigh those extra weeks against the monthly price, and you will quickly see whether it makes sense for your business.

Rent or buy?

With the heat agreement you spread the costs, and the battery, service and warranty are included. If something breaks or a cushion wears out, it is replaced. Would you rather buy outright? That is also possible; request a quotation for it. Buying is attractive if you want to use the cushions for a long time and arrange maintenance yourself. Renting suits you better if you do not want to tie up capital and want certainty about service.

Try first

Still unsure? Take a free one-month trial of up to 10 cushions on your own terrace. That way you can see for yourself how guests respond before you commit to anything.