Are you considering installing electric fireplace inserts in your existing traditional fireplace? If so, there are some things that you might want to know about the overall cost of having electric fireplaces in your home. You must not only consider the cost of the unit when purchased, but also the continuing utility bills incurred to run the unit. Also, if there is maintenance costs or a cost associated with materials needed to run the unit.
A lot of people that are in the market for an electric fireplace are doing so because they do not have a traditional masonry fireplace. An electric insert fits them really well as an alternative and easy way to heat the home. There are a lot of consumers that simply wish the fireplace they have in their home was more practical. Buying or cutting firewood, bringing it in the house, starting a fire and tending to it is a huge hassle. It is also dirty and can be a great expense. With an electric fireplace insert, they can have a fire with the push of a button. Not to mention that they can also turn it off with the push of a button AND there’s no mess!
In general, an electric fireplace will use as much energy as an electric heater. There are some electric fireplaces that have a setting to choose the amount of wattage the unit puts out therefore letting you have some control over how much energy it is using to heat your designated space. If you leave the fireplace on 24 hours a day 7 days a week there will be an increased load to your energy use and your bill with increase. However, if you use it as you would an electric heater; you will not see much difference. There are also some electric fireplaces and inserts that come with a temperature controlled thermostat. This will allow you to set it at the temperature that you want the unit to try to maintain in your home. If the temperature drops below this amount, the fire will come on. When the temperature gets above this amount, the fire will go off.
Also, an electric fireplace can be quite effective when used in zone heating. Zone heating is when you heat only the zone of the house that the family is in at a particular time. This will help decrease or save costs with the heating bill if you are not heating square footage of the home that is not in use. An electric fireplace can be used in the evening in this manner to add character, lighting and heat only to the room the family will be using the most.
With the unit cost of most electric fireplace inserts being $200 or sometimes less, this is a very cost effective way of bringing down the home heating bill and adding ambiance and heat to any room in the house. It is also an effective way to get some use from your traditional masonry fireplace.
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