A Simple Running Cost Guide for Electric Fires

1. A Simple Running Cost Guide for Electric Fires A new electric fire can be a great addition to your home. It will elevate your room’s aesthetics by serving as a stylish centrepiece while adding warmth during the cold months. Electric fires are more convenient and cleaner alternatives to traditional fireplaces. But if you have never owned one before, you might be wondering if they are expensive to run. The good news is that electric fires are cost-effective. The key is to find an efficient model that can help you cut your energy bills. To help you figure out how much having an electric fire will cost you, use a running cost calculator online and input the information required, including the following: The fireplace heat input - This information should be available on the product description of the fireplace and is indicated in kW. Estimated usage time (in hours) – How long do you intend to run the fireplace? For example, if you use it every night for around two hours, that should be 60 hours for an entire month. Cost of energy in pence per kilowatt – Refer to your latest energy bill to find this information. It will indicate your unit price, not the daily standing charge. If you’re unsure about the current rates, refer to the averages in the UK, which is 14.37 p/kWh for electricity in 2018. Keep in mind that your tariff may be more or less, and it could increase over time. To discern how much it costs to run electric fires, multiply the energy input in kW by the amount of time used to get the kWh. Then, multiply the kWh by the cost of your energy per kilowatt in pence. Lastly, divide that amount by 100 to get the cost. Is it expensive to run an electric fireplace? A common misconception about electric fires is that they are costly to run because the unit cost of electricity is higher compared to gas. But if you look at the bigger picture, you will quickly realize that this is not true. Remember that modern electric fireplaces have low installation costs and are 100 percent efficient. They don’t need ventilation, so no heat is wasted up in a chimney. All the energy they produce turns into heat for your room, making them the more cost-efficient choice.