How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Fireplace?

Compare Your Flame Settings Before You Turn On The Heat

Understanding what an electric fireplace costs to run starts with knowing which features are turned on. Every electric fireplace operates in two completely different ways: visual flame mode and active heating mode. The cost difference between the two is enormous.

When you run your fireplace in flame-only mode, you are only powering a set of small LED light bulbs and a quiet little motor that rotates a mirrored spindle to create realistic flickering effects. This mode draws very little electricity, usually between 10 and 20 watts. In plain terms, wattage is simply the amount of electric power the unit draws from your wall. Running just the flames costs practically nothing. In most American homes, running an LED flame display costs under one cent per hour, often as little as a fraction of a penny. You could leave the flame visuals turned on all day and night, and it would only add a few pennies to your utility statement at the end of the month.

The cost changes the moment you turn on the built-in heater. When heat is active, electric current flows through heating coils or an infrared element, while a small fan blows warm air through the blower grille into your room. Most fireplaces give you two heat levels: low heat and high heat.

On the low heat setting, the fireplace typically draws about 750 watts of electricity. Plugged into a standard 120-volt wall outlet, this draws around 6.25 amps of current. At typical residential electric rates across the country, running the heater on low costs roughly 8 to 15 cents per hour. This setting is ideal for taking the morning chill out of a small bedroom or home office without pulling maximum power from your breaker panel.

On the high heat setting, the heating coils draw 1,500 watts, which pulls approximately 12.5 amps. This is the maximum power allowed for plug-in appliances running on standard 15-amp household circuits in the United States. When running continuously on high, an electric fireplace produces about 5,000 BTUs of heat and costs between 15 and 30 cents per hour, depending on what your local utility company charges. Running the heater on high for three hours during a cold winter evening will usually cost you between 45 and 90 cents. That is far less than many homeowners expect when they first bring an electric fireplace home.

Follow These Three Simple Steps To Find Your Exact Cost

You do not need to guess what your fireplace costs to run. You can calculate your exact hourly and daily expenses in just a couple of minutes using numbers straight from your own utility bill. Grab your most recent power bill and follow these three simple steps.

1. Find your local electricity rate on your power bill. Look closely at the breakdown on your monthly electric bill. You want to find your cost per kilowatt-hour, which is the billing unit your electric company charges you for. A kilowatt-hour represents using 1,000 watts of electricity steadily for one full hour. In the United States, utility rates vary widely. Some states enjoy rates around 12 to 14 cents per kilowatt-hour, while other areas with higher energy costs pay 25 cents or more. If your bill lists separate delivery and supply charges, add those two rates together to get your true total cost per kilowatt-hour.
2. Convert your fireplace wattage into kilowatts. Check the user manual or the metal safety label attached to the back or bottom of your unit. Look for the listed wattage. High heat is almost always 1,500 watts, and low heat is usually 750 watts. To convert watts into kilowatts, simply divide that number by 1,000. For high heat, 1,500 divided by 1,000 equals 1.5 kilowatts. For low heat, 750 divided by 1,000 equals 0.75 kilowatts. If you are only running the flame effect, 15 watts divided by 1,000 equals 0.015 kilowatts.
3. Multiply the kilowatts by your electricity rate. Take the kilowatt number from step two and multiply it by your electricity rate from step one. The result is your exact cost to run the fireplace for one hour. For example, if your power company charges 18 cents per kilowatt-hour and you run your fireplace on high heat, multiply 1.5 by $0.18. Your cost is $0.27 per hour. If you run the fireplace on low heat at that same electric rate, multiply 0.75 by $0.18 to get roughly $0.14 per hour. If you run the heater for four hours every evening, multiply that hourly figure by four to see your exact daily cost.

Estimate Your Monthly Power Bill Based On Your Daily Routines

Seeing the hourly cost gives you peace of mind, but what does that look like on your monthly electric statement? Your final bill depends heavily on how often you run the unit and whether your fireplace has an adjustable thermostat.

Under light winter use, you might turn on the flickering flame display every night for ambiance while reading or watching television, but only switch on the 1,500-watt heat for an hour in the morning to shake off the morning chill. If your electricity costs 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, running the heater for one hour a day costs 30 cents. Over a 30-day month, that adds just $9.00 to your bill. The flame display, running four hours every evening, will only add around 30 to 40 cents for the entire month.

Under moderate winter use, you might run the fireplace in your living room for four hours each evening. If the heater ran nonstop on high, that would cost about $1.20 a day, adding roughly $36 to your monthly bill. However, most modern fireplaces do not run nonstop. They use an adjustable thermostat that manages cycling, which is the heater clicking off automatically once the room reaches your set temperature. Once the room is warm, the heating element shuts down while the flame display keeps flickering. The heating coil might only stay active for 20 or 30 minutes out of every hour. Because of this natural cycling, your real monthly cost under moderate use usually drops to somewhere between $18 and $22.

Under heavy winter use, such as heating a cold basement or a drafty home office for eight hours a day, the heater works much harder. If the unit runs continuously for eight hours a day at an average rate of 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, your daily cost is around $2.40. That will add roughly $72 to your monthly statement. While $72 is a noticeable bump on your bill, it is still much less expensive than turning up the central heat for the entire house all day long.

Lower Your Main Thermostat And Warm Only The Room You Are In

An electric fireplace can actually lower your overall winter utility bills if you practice zone heating. Zone heating simply means warming only the single room you are currently using while letting the rest of your home stay cooler.

Most central furnaces and heat pumps push warm air through ductwork into every room, empty guest bedroom, and hallway in the house. Heating thousands of square feet of unused space takes an enormous amount of natural gas, heating oil, or electricity. Instead of keeping your central thermostat set at 72 degrees Fahrenheit around the clock, you can lower it down to 65 or 66 degrees. When you gather in the living room, turn on your electric fireplace to warm that specific room to a comfortable 70 degrees.

Because you are only heating 300 to 500 square feet where you are sitting, your large central furnace turns on much less frequently. The money you save on your primary gas or heating bill often easily outpaces the small amount of electricity your fireplace uses. If you are converting an old wood hearth into an electric setup, learning how to close your fireplace damper is an essential first step. A damper that stays open lets cold chimney drafts pour into your living space while sucking your expensive heated air right out the top of the roof.

If you have an open living room or vaulted ceilings, selecting the best electric fireplace insert for a large room will give you a fan-forced blower capable of circulating warmth across wide seating areas. By directing the heat exactly where your family spends time, you keep everyone cozy without paying to heat empty bedrooms.

Adopt Simple Daily Habits To Keep Your Power Draw Low

You can keep your electric fireplace running efficiently without sacrificing comfort. A few basic adjustments to your setup and habits will prevent wasted energy and protect your household budget.

• Set the automatic shutoff timer before you relax. Most electric fireplaces come equipped with a built-in timer that you can set from 30 minutes up to 8 or 12 hours. Setting the timer for two hours whenever you sit down ensures the heater will not run all night if you fall asleep on the sofa.
• Start on high heat and switch to low. When you first walk into a chilly room, turn the fireplace to 1,500 watts to take the bite out of the air quickly. Once the space feels comfortable, drop the setting down to 750 watts. The lower wattage easily maintains room temperature while cutting your power draw in half.
• Close interior doors to trap the heat. Electric fireplaces rely on fan-forced air to warm rooms up to 400 square feet. If you leave hallway and bedroom doors wide open, that warm air will disperse into cooler parts of the house. Keeping interior doors shut traps the heat right around you, allowing the thermostat to cycle off much sooner.
• Keep the air intake and blower grille clean. Dust, lint, and pet fur naturally drift toward the intake vents over time. When dust coats the vent openings, the internal heating coil cannot breathe properly. This makes the motor work harder, reduces heating efficiency, and can trip the internal overheat safety shutoff. Vacuum the vents gently with a soft brush attachment once a month.
• Plug the heavy power cord directly into a wall outlet. Always plug your fireplace directly into a standard 120-volt wall outlet on a dedicated circuit, which is an outlet that does not share its breaker with other power-hungry appliances like microwaves or space heaters. Never use light household extension cords or multi-plug power strips. A continuous 1,500-watt load can cause extension cords and surge protectors to overheat, melt, or create serious fire hazards.
• Maintain a three-foot clearance around the heat discharge. Keep curtains, blankets, area rugs, and furniture at least three feet away from the front heating vent. While the cool-touch glass stays safe to touch for kids and pets, the metal discharge grille gets quite hot. Keeping this area clear lets the warm air circulate freely across your flooring.

Select A Model With Built-In Power Controls Before You Buy

If you are planning to purchase a new fireplace, choosing a model with the right control features will make managing your electric bill simple and predictable. Avoid bare-bones models that only offer an on-and-off heat switch with no temperature control.

Look for an electric fireplace that provides dual heat modes, specifically giving you both a 750-watt low setting and a 1,500-watt high setting. Having direct control over wattage allows you to tailor your energy use to the weather outside, running on low during mild autumn days and saving high heat for deep winter freezes.

An adjustable digital thermostat is another essential feature to look for. Thermostats allow you to choose an exact temperature target, such as 68 or 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the room hits that mark, the heating element clicks off automatically, cutting your running costs immediately while keeping the room comfortable. Models that feature programmable shutoff timers and independent flame controls also ensure that you only pay for heat when you actively need it.

1

60" Electric Fireplace Insert, 1500W Wall Mounted & Recessed Fireplace

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• BWP Score

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  10.0
• Brand
  Aidoly

Key specs2

Timer and Heating Controls

The unit features a 12-hour shutoff timer alongside three blower settings (cool air, low heat, and 1500W high heat) to control operating costs.

Mounting Flexibility

Wall mounted, recessed, or freestanding with feet

Pros & cons42

Pros

• Offers 3 installation options: wall mounted, recessed, or freestanding on included feet
• Broad digital thermostat settings adjust from 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit
• Includes a long 12-hour timer to help manage electricity consumption
• Operates at a low listed noise level of 35 decibels

Cons

• Large 60-inch width requires substantial wall space or a wide footprint
• Manufacturer does not state exact wattage for the low heat setting

2

50 in Electric Fireplace Inserts - 1500/750W Ultra Narrow Frame

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  10.0
• Brand
  EliteEdge

Key specs2

Heat Output Modes

750W low heat and 1500W high heat

Operating Features

• Dual 750W and 1500W heating options
• Programmable timer up to 9 hours
• Independent 12-color flame ambiance

Pros & cons42

Pros

• Dual heat modes of 750W and 1500W let you reduce power draw by half
• Up to 9-hour automatic shutoff timer prevents running the heater unattended
• Provides 12 flame colors that work with or without active heating
• Slim 4.13-inch depth fits recessed wall openings or direct wall mounts

Cons

• Weighs over 50 pounds, requiring sturdy wall framing support
• Does not list specific square footage heating coverage in the specifications

3

EUHOMY 60 Inch Electric Fireplace Wall Recessed and Wall Mounted

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  9.4
• Brand
  EUHOMY

Key specs2

Coverage and Power

Up to 400 sq ft at 750W or 1500W

Flame and Media Customization

EUHOMY includes both carbon logs and crystal media with 12 flame colors, 12 bed colors, and five brightness settings that run without heat.

Pros & cons42

Pros

• Stated 750W and 1500W modes provide clear energy-budgeting choices
• Certified for supplemental zone heating across spaces up to 400 square feet
• Includes both carbon logs and crystals with independent flame-only operation
• ETL safety certified and operates at an audible level of 45 decibels

Cons

• Maximum timer duration stops at 8 hours rather than 9 or 12 hours
• Thermostat adjustment is capped between 62 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit

4

BETELNUT 36" Electric Fireplace Wall Mounted and Recessed with Remote

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  9.2
• Brand
  BETELNUT

Key specs2

Heating Efficiency

The upper-front vent delivers warmth for up to 400 square feet, allowing users to toggle between 750W low and 1500W high settings to save electricity.

Dimensions and Mounting

36 in wide by 4 in deep for recessed or wall mounting

Pros & cons42

Pros

• Compact 36-inch width fits smaller wall cavities and tighter rooms easily
• Front-upper vent directs warm air into rooms up to 400 square feet
• Switchable 750W and 1500W settings allow practical power management
• Comes with both resin logs and crystals alongside an ETL certification

Cons

• Blower noise is rated at 45 decibels, which is audible in quiet spaces
• Upper front heat vent requires checking clearance below wall-hung displays

5

OKD 52" Farmhouse Electric Fireplace with Mantel, Tall Fireplace TV

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  9.0
• Brand
  OKD

Key specs2

Console Capacity

Supports up to 120 lb on 52-inch tabletop

Furniture Features

• Concealed flip-top storage cubby
• Faux stone veneer with arched mantel design
• Adjustable thermostat across 22 levels

Pros & cons43

Pros

• Built-in mantel and media console supports up to 120 pounds on tabletop
• Concealed flip-top storage compartment keeps remotes and accessories organized
• Provides 22 selectable temperature levels ranging from 62 to 82 degrees
• Faux stone frame creates a traditional hearth look without wall cutting

Cons

• Heavy 131-pound console requires assembly by 1 to 2 people
• Wattage draw is not listed in specifications and requires verification
• Integrated timer is limited to a maximum of 6 hours

6

Oylus Electric Fireplace Stove Heater - Fireplace Heaters for Indoor

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  9.0
• Brand
  OYLUS

Key specs2

Portability and Power

7.8 lb portable stove with 750W and 1500W modes

Controls and Settings

Independent mechanical switches let you run the visual flame display alone or pair it with 750W or 1500W heating.

Pros & cons42

Pros

• Lightweight 7.8-pound portable build is easy to move between rooms
• Low 750W mode cuts electrical draw in half compared to 1500W high mode
• Separate manual switches allow independent flame-only operation
• Compact 14-inch footprint fits easily on desks, counters, or small floors

Cons

• Lacks a digital thermostat and remote control for automatic temperature cycling
• Does not include an automatic shutoff timer to prevent extended operation

7

HOMCOM 28.5" 1500W Electric Wall-Mounted Fireplace with Flame Effect, 7

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  8.6
• Brand
  HOMCOM

Key specs2

Heating and Coverage

725W or 1450W covering 161 to 400 sq ft

Ambient Lighting

Separate 7-color flame effects, background lighting, and side lights can operate completely independently of the heating elements.

Pros & cons42

Pros

• Lower wattage options of 725W and 1450W reduce power consumption
• Rated to provide supplemental heat across 161 to 400 square feet
• Compact 28.5-inch width mounts neatly on smaller accent walls
• Features seven flame colors with additional background and side lighting

Cons

• Wall-mount only design cannot be fully recessed flush into stud framing
• Listing does not specify an integrated timer or digital thermostat

8

ZAFRO Freestanding Electric Fireplace Stove with Realistic Flame, 5100 BTU

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  8.6
• Brand
  ZAFRO

Key specs2

Heat Output

Up to 5100 BTU with 1000W and 1500W settings

Stove Architecture

A freestanding cast-look stove with transparent viewing glass, adjustable 3D flame brightness, and flared legs for stability.

Pros & cons42

Pros

• Generates up to 5100 BTU of supplemental heat on high mode
• Outwardly angled feet increase base stability to help prevent tipping
• Offers dual heat settings of 1000W and 1500W to adjust energy draw
• Retro freestanding stove styling requires no wall cutouts or brackets

Cons

• Lower heat setting draws 1000W rather than the 750W found on many competitors
• Does not include a remote control or built-in timer for scheduling

9

Bowery Hill 67.25" Freestanding Electric Fireplace with Wood Mantel, Realistic

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  7.0
• Brand
  BOWERY HILL

Key specs2

Heating Range

Supplemental warmth for spaces up to 1000 sq ft

Mantel Specifications

The 67.25-inch wide freestanding wooden mantel package features an anti-tip safety bracket, 6-foot grounded cord, and CSA certification.

Pros & cons43

Pros

• Listed supplemental heating coverage reaches up to 1000 square feet
• Full 67.25-inch wood mantel suite provides an expansive hearth centerpiece
• Includes a replaceable heater insert, adjustable thermostat, and timer
• CSA and FCC certified with built-in automatic shutoff and anti-tip hardware

Cons

• Heavy 133-pound structure requires dedicated floor space and assembly
• Mantel shelf load limit is 30 pounds and cannot hold a television directly
• Exact operating wattage is not stated in the manufacturer specifications

Last update on 2026-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

FAQs

Does an electric fireplace cost more to run than a standard space heater?

No. Both electric fireplaces and portable plug-in space heaters are limited to a maximum draw of 1,500 watts on high heat. Both draw roughly 12.5 amps on a standard household outlet and produce around 5,000 BTUs of heat. The only difference is that the fireplace runs a low-wattage LED flame display, which adds less than half a cent per hour to the total operating cost.

Can I leave an electric fireplace heater running all night safely?

While modern fireplaces feature an internal overheat safety shutoff that cuts power if the unit gets too hot, running high-draw heating elements unattended all night is not recommended. Running the heater continuously for eight hours drives up your monthly electric bill. If you want warmth while drifting off to sleep, set the built-in timer for one or two hours, or switch the unit into flame-only mode so you can enjoy the cozy visual glow safely without drawing any heat.

Why does turning on my electric fireplace heat trip the circuit breaker?

On high heat, a 1,500-watt electric fireplace draws around 12.5 amps of electricity. Most residential room circuits are wired with 15-amp breakers. If your fireplace shares that circuit with another appliance that pulls power, such as a television, desktop computer, vacuum, or coffee maker, the total electrical draw will push past 15 amps and trip the breaker. To prevent this, plug the fireplace into an outlet on a dedicated circuit that does not share heavy electrical loads with other devices.

Why does my electric fireplace blow cool air while the flames are still glowing?

This usually happens when the built-in thermostat is set lower than the current temperature in the room. When the room reaches the target setting, the unit automatically shuts down the heating coil while keeping the fan running briefly to cool down the internal parts. It can also happen if dust buildup on the air intake vents tripped the internal overheat cut-off. Unplug the fireplace for 10 to 15 minutes to reset the switch, clean any lint off the vents, adjust the thermostat higher, and plug it back in.