If you are looking to save a bit of money while keeping your home warm during the winter, an electric fireplace may be the right choice, read on for more.
Winter is one of the most divisive seasons. While some people may love the coldest season thanks to the onset of the holidays and possibly even snow, you will find that others hate it with a passion. There may be many reasons for this sentiment, ranging from the climate in which people were raised to simple preference.
One thing that is true is that winter can tend to get rather expensive thanks to a range of different factors. For example, you will need coats, hats, and possibly more if you live in a colder place where there may be excessive snowfall.
Winter’s expenses do not end with the required clothing, however. You also have to pay for heating, and you have several methods to do so. You can heat up your home using a traditional fireplace, radiators, or perhaps the most affordable option, an electric fireplace.
Winter is also more expensive thanks to all the dinners that are typically hosted during the holidays. If you are one to liven up the holiday spirit with some friends, you will find that the costs can add up. As you can see, there are quite a few expenses to deal with during the winter.
If you are looking to reduce the amount of money that you waste during the winter, there are a few areas that you can try to cut back, but you will find that heating can run up your bills. If you are looking for how to save money on electric heat, you may want to invest in an energy efficient fireplace.
So why is an electric fireplace such a wise choice for someone looking to save money during the winter? Let’s get right into it so you can find out whether or not one of these fireplaces is worth your money.
Electric Fireplaces Compared to Other Heating Solutions
Regular Fireplace
You will find that an electric fireplace is a superior option to a regular fireplace in most ways. To be fair, you do lose some of the experience of lighting and enjoying a real fire, but we believe that the pros of an electric model outweigh the cons. For example, your expenses will be far lower with an electric fireplace.
Depending on the quality of your fireplace, you will find that the up-front installation costs for a traditional one will typically be higher than those for an electric model. If you are looking for the more affordable option when it comes to the initial setup, it is likely the electric fireplace.
The only exception is if your home already comes equipped with a fireplace and a chimney, in which case there will be no costs for installation. In that case, you can also have an electric fireplace installed for cheaper as there will be no need to build an alcove; you can just seal off the chimney and use the pre-existing one.
Of course, there are also the running costs of your fireplace. A traditional fireplace will necessitate the purchase of wood or other substitutes, which can get pricey over time. On the other hand, an electric fireplace only consumes electricity, and it does so far more efficiently.
A regular fireplace also has the disadvantage of losing a significant portion of its heat to the chimney, since heat rises upwards. The lack of a chimney for electric models means that the heat has nowhere to go but to enter the room, keeping you warmer for less.
There is also the sheer convenience of an electric fireplace when compared to a wood-burning one. Instead of having to go out and purchase wood and starters for your fireplace, you can just turn it on. While some may argue that you miss out on some of the experience with an electric model, they are improving day by day.
If you don't believe that a regular fireplace can rival an electric model, then you haven't seen some of the newest electronic fireplaces that are available on the market. Some models are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing until you are right next to them.
Radiator
While it is true that a heater will tend to provide more heat than an electric fireplace, that may not always be the case, depending on the type of radiator that we are discussing. If you use a spot heater to keep an area warm, you may find that an electric fireplace can do a better job, for example.
There is always the advantage that an electric fireplace is easier on the eyes than a radiator, so you can sit back and enjoy the flickering ambiance of a fire without having the deal with the issues. A heater exists only to keep you warm, and can't provide a comparable experience to an energy saving electric fireplace.
Energy efficiency fireplaces such as electric models may also use less electricity than radiators, though their heating power will be marginally diminished as a result.
How Much Electricity Does an Electric Fireplace Use?
You may be surprised to learn that an electric fireplace can be more efficient than many other heating solutions. If you are looking to ensure that a room stays warm at a fraction of the cost, looking into an electric fireplace is not a bad idea.
As we discussed earlier, the sealed nature of an electric fireplace means that the heat will be trapped in your home. We also mentioned that an electric fireplace could provide adequate heating in exchange for reduced power consumption when compared to traditional heaters.
Keep in mind that an electric fireplace is still a heating unit, so you can expect it to take up a decent amount of electricity.
Conclusion
If you are looking to keep your home heated in the most efficient way possible, you will find that an electric fireplace is possibly the best option. Feel free to let us know what you think about electric fireplaces and their heating capabilities down in the comments section below.
Sources
https://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/how-efficient-your-fireplace
http://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Modern-fireplaces-a-coveted-feature-11686599.php