I was hanging out at the local pub the other night when a friend told me he was thinking of buying an electric fireplace for his house. He inevitably asked me about his heating capabilities. Like many people, he was thinking of putting the unit in his bedroom and using it as the main heat source, and turning down, or even turning off, the heat in the rest of his house.

Now, as you know, I am a big fan of electric fireplaces. I love Dimplex and Classic Flame fireplaces, with ChimneyFree quickly becoming my ‘best value’ choice. But as a primary source of heat in a house? Well, that’s a good question… but… here’s some data…

To get this right, if you’re thinking of heating your entire house with electricity, we should take a look at a couple of different sized models to see how they compare. We’ll be looking at the Classic Flame Augusta Antique Mahogany 33″ Electric Fireplace, a larger, higher-end model (pictured left) and the ChimneyFree Ashbury 23″ Premium Cherry Media Console Electric Fireplace, a beautiful solid wood fireplace. real cherry, medium size. medium-sized model, pictured on the right.

ChimneyFree Ashbury has fan-forced heat with up to 4,600 BTU/hr (1,350 watts) of heating power. I don’t think I need to say any more, as I note that ChimneyFree’s sales materials state that this model “provides additional heat for up to 400 square feet”, the keyword being ‘supplemental’. Therefore, the manufacturer does not say that this should be a primary heat source. As for a 400 square foot room, that’s a 20 x 20 space, so it’s not small, but remember, ‘extra’.

As for the Classic Flame Augusta, interestingly enough, the sales literature also says that the fan-forced heat quietly provides up to 4600 BTU/hr for “supplemental” heat for up to 400 square feet.

Frankly, salesmen in the fireplace business don’t seem to have much of an imagination…

But I’m straying… the bottom line is that the manufacturers of these fireplaces don’t even market them as a primary source of heating. And with good reason. Electricity is the most expensive way to heat a home. You need to figure that you will spend at least 10 cents an hour for a unit, and that would be in a room. You still have to heat the rest of the house, at least where I live in the Northeast. So 10 cents an hour, every hour, for a month, it goes out for… hmmm…. take the 2… $72… not bad except it only heats one room… put one on each room and you’re paying more than you pay the oil company… well…

Electric fireplace reviewer’s final comment: One large, one medium, but both with the same heater size. Fireplaces like the ChimneyFree Ashbury Electric Fireplace and Classic Flame August Electric Fireplace are both beautiful and functional furnishings, but they just aren’t primary heaters. Still, they provide enough warmth and great ambience, and, with such realistic, long flames, make them worth every penny.