When purchasing a new fireplace there are several important things to consider like budget, modern or contempory, fuel type, and perhaps most importantly, depending on where you live, the expected heat output and the cost to operate.
Heat output is measured in BTU’s or British Thermal Units. The higher the BTU output the more heat a fireplace will produce.
|
Fuel Type
|
Typical BTU's
|
Average Cost to Operate
|
| |
Low Usage |
High Usage |
Low Usage |
High Usage |
| Electric |
1,000 BTU |
7,000 BTU |
$80 |
$131 |
| Gas |
19,000 BTU |
48,000 BTU |
$412 |
$2,708 |
| Wood |
38,000 BTU |
80,000 BTU |
$455-$1,365 |
$910-$2,730 |
| Pellet |
10,000 BTU |
55,000 BTU |
$619-$2,184 |
$1,255-$4,368 |
Wood
There is no ‘average’ that a homeowner can expect to burn in a single season as it will depend on many factors, however, EPA certified wood stoves may consume between 3-6 full cords of wood in a single season plus/minus depending on usage, climate, and heating requirements. The cost for this can range from $0 (if you have access to free wood!) to $3,000+ (if you live in an area with expensive wood). Your specific requirements and costs will vary dramatically based on your environment, usage, and local costs.
Learn more about the
cost to operate wood stoves and
wood inserts.
High Usage (24hrs/day) cost:
$910-$2,730*
Low Usage (12hrs/day) cost
$455-$1,365*
*Please Note: Prices for wood will vary dramatically throughout North America. Costs were calculated on standard unit size, efficiency, daily usage, and used an average heating season of 26 weeks. Actual numbers will vary.
Gas
How much will my gas fireplace or gas insert cost to run in one year? There is no definitive answer because, it depends. There are many factors influencing the cost of running a gas fireplace, gas insert, or gas stove including the unit’s size, the size of the area it is heating, the cost of gas in your area, the type of gas you are using, how often you use your fireplace, and many, many more.
Gas units might cost anywhere from
$412 – $2,708 depending on unit type and low to high usage.
Learn more about the differences between types of gas appliances and futher details
here.
*Please Note: The estimates above are simple calculations based on usage (low 8hrs/day) to high (16hrs/day), sample BTU outputs and standardized use cases. Actual usage/costs will vary. Prices are calculated using a price-per-therm model, where one therm is equal to 100,000 BTU’s and the price/hour has been adjusted for standardized efficiency. Totals represent 26 full weeks of heating per year. These estimates are to be used strictly as educational for product research purposes.
Electric
With electric fireplaces the heat is generated from an internal heater. The BTU output can be measured by the kilo watt (kW) consumption of the heater. The higher the kW consumption for the fireplace, the more heat (BTU’s) will be produced by the internal heater. 1 kW is approximately 3,400 BTU’s.
A nice feature of electric fireplaces is they can be used with or without heat. If you choose to run without heat you will dramatically reduce the total energy consumption of the fireplace while still maintaining its beautiful ambience.
Typically a manufacturer’s line of electric fireplaces will produce the same level of BTU’s across its various sizes. For example, the Regency Skope E110, E135 and E195 all contain the same 2 kW internal heater.
The yearly cost is something that you will want to consider when making your purchase decision. Estimated Yearly Cost will vary dramatically based on your location, installation, usage behavior, and the cost of electricity.
Estimated Yearly Cost:
$80 (low usage) - $131 (high usage)*
*Please Note: Estimated Yearly Cost will vary dramatically based on your location, installation, use, and the cost of electricity. For comparative purposes all electric fireplaces estimated yearly cost was calculated using max kW output at $0.10 per kWh under the same installation conditions (Voltage and Amperage) for one hour every single day of the year. A result of this method is the units that are able to produce the most heat (Max kW & BTU’s) cost more throughout the year, whereas the ones who produce the least, cost the least per year.
Pellet
The operation cost of your pellet fireplace product will be relative to the efficiency and craftsmanship of the unit you buy, the quality and type of pellets you use, the cost of electricity in your region, and the heat setting you maintain. The lowest setting will burn approximately 1 ¼ lbs of pellets per hour, while the highest setting will burn approximately 5-6 lbs of pellets per hour. Depending on the unit, a pellet stove will produce a significant amount of heat capable of heating most rooms/areas.
High Usage yearly cost at low and high heat (24hrs/day) cost:
$1,255 - $4,368*
Low Usage yearly cost at low and high heat (12hrs/day) cost
$619 - $2,184*
*For comparative purposes estimated yearly cost was calculated using max kW output at $0.10 per kWh. Costs were calculated on standard unit size, efficiency, daily usage at low and high heat, and used an average heating season of 26 weeks. Actual numbers will vary.