Which electric fire is the cheapest to run?

Finding out which electric fire is the cheapest to run in your home.

When it comes to comparing the cost of different types of heating, electric fires are one of the easiest heating appliances to measure. As a result, it’s also very easy to calculate which electric fire is the cheapest to run.

Since electric fires are 100% efficient at the point of use — nothing is being burnt and very little energy is lost — the running costs are simply to work out.

How to work out how cheap at electric fire is to run

To calculate how much it will cost to run an electric fire you first need to know the heat output of the electric fire in question. Electric fires usually have a heat output of between 1kW and 2kW.

For this example, we’ll say our electric fire has a 1.5kW heat output. That means it will use 1.5kW of energy for every hour that it’s in use. So our running costs are:

1.5 x your electricity unit price x the number of hours the fire will be in use

If we’re paying 34p per kW for electricity and we use the fire for five hours, the running costs will be £2.55.

How to choose an electric fire that’s cheapest to run

Since electric fires are so transparent when it comes to cost, the easiest way to choose an electric fire that’s cheapest to run is to choose one with the smallest heat output. The smaller the heat output, the less it will cost to run. Unfortunately, that might be a false economy if the appliance is creating enough heat for your room.

So what other steps can you take to ensure you’re buying an electric fire that’s cheap to run?

Choose an electric fire with an independent LED flame effect

The running costs of LED lights are practically nothing. Make sure your electric fire comes with an LED flame effect that can be used independently of the heater. That way you can enjoy a cosy atmosphere at a very low cost even when you don’t want to use the heater itself.

Choose an electric fire with a timer

A time function can help you to make rooms comfortable for your arrival and help you to avoid overusing your appliance. This helps to keep costs down.