The electricity consumption of an electric fire depends on its power rating (watts or kilowatts) and how long it’s used.
What does kW/hr actually mean?
A kWh (kilowatt-hour) is a unit of energy that measures how much electricity is used over time. It represents 1 kilowatt (1000 watts) of power used for 1 hour.
Watt (W): A measure of power (how much energy is used per second).
Kilowatt (kW): 1000 watts.
Kilowatt-hour (kWh): The energy consumed when a 1 kW (1000 W) appliance runs for 1 hour.
Costs
Here’s a breakdown, which looks at power settings and some simple cost calculations.
Typical Power Ratings:
Low setting: 1 kW (1000 watts)
High setting: 2 kW (2000 watts)
Electricity Cost Calculation:
Power (kW) × Hours Used × Cost per kWh
For Example, If an electric fire is 2kW and runs for 5 hours in an evening with an electricity cost of £0.35 per kWh: 2 kW × 5 hours × £0.35 = £3.50 a day. If you use this fire like this 7 days a week, a typical monthly cost will be just over £100.00.
An electric fire is 100% efficient, which means all the electricity converts to heat. Compare this to an open fire with around 20% efficiency, and you will see why a lot of people prefer electric.
Below shows just how far electric fires have come. Our iRange 1100 slimline is a fire designed to create a visual focal point in a room whilst providing instant, 100% efficient heat.
The Benefits of Electric:
They are very convenient – you don’t need to worry about a chimney and the associated issues, which come with using a chimney, you also don’t need to worry about servicing issues, which you have with a gas fire, or the effort you need to commit to when you use a wood-burning stove. Despite the attraction of gas and wood – sometimes and for some only electric will do.
Enjoy all year round – You can switch on the flame effect (only) in the middle of summer if you wish, to create a relaxing focal point, but with no heat. Not only is this incredibly cheap to use, but it also produces no heat. If you want heat, this can be done with a click of a button.
100% Efficiency – With heating and electricity prices rising, it makes sense to invest in something which won’t be excessively expensive to run. An electric heater dissipates heat directly into a room. No heat is lost through a chimney or venting.
Greater control – The heat from an electric fire (and so power demands) can be very quickly controlled, more so than a wood-burning stove for example.
No harmful gases – When you burn anything, it’s natural for gas byproducts to form. With an electric fire, there will never be any harmful gases – ever.
Pretend flames – While an electric fire may not truly give the same look like a gas fire or stove, the fact the flames are not real does have a safety advantage.
View our range of electric fires here.
