gas or electric fire

moss1

hi looking for advice we have gas central heating with gas fire but wife wants to remove gas fire and fit electric flame look fire to give nice warm effect while gch is on but i am worried about running cost the electric fire would be used in spring and autum monthes we have a 3.5 kw solar panels will these help enough to keep electric bill down any help much appreicated thanks.

HappyMJ

Your gas fire is likely to be no more than 50% efficient at converting gas into heat....and can actually be much less efficient when used with gas central heating. Warm air from the room is taken burnt with the gas and emitted up the flue as flue gases. Cold air is then brought into the room via your vents and you could lose more heat than you are generating.

An electric fire will be 100% efficient....but if it's just for the look then the heat output will be very low and just the fire effect will use very little....so the running costs of the electric fire will be less. The flame effect uses only 18W of energy which is virtually nothing.