A typical 1,500-watt electric fireplace heater costs about 27 cents an hour on high and about 14 cents an hour if it cycles on and off. At four hours a day for 90 days, that is roughly $49 to $99 a year.
Electric fireplaces can add a flame effect to a room and, with the heater on, warm a small space. Here is what that costs.
Because the flames can run without the heater, the cost of running an electric fireplace depends a lot on how you use it.
There are a couple of factors that affect the cost, so let’s jump straight into the average electricity costs of this type of fireplace.
Average Electricity Usage
As I said earlier, electric fireplaces can be used for design purposes (only visual flames), so the costs are lower.
With only the flames on, the cost depends on the model. Dimplex says its fireplaces use slightly under 300 watts for the flame alone, which is about 5 cents an hour at the 18.31 cents per kilowatt-hour U.S. average residential price in July 2026 (U.S. Energy Information Administration). Check the label on your unit.
That is a small cost for a flame effect.
Most electric fireplace heaters draw 1,500 watts, or about 5,100 BTU of heat. The thermostat switches the heater on and off, and if it runs about half the time it costs around 14 cents an hour (1.5 kilowatts x 50% x 18.31 cents). It warms a room, not your whole home.
If you run the heat on high all the time, the same heater costs about 27 cents an hour (1.5 kilowatts x 18.31 cents). The formula is watts x hours / 1000 x price per kilowatt-hour.
If you run the heater four hours a day for 90 days, it costs about $49 a year cycling half the time and about $99 at full power. Electricity costs more per unit of heat than natural gas (EIA 2024: $48.30 against $13.88 per million Btu), so a gas fireplace is usually cheaper to run for heat.
You have to understand that in some areas the costs are more expensive because of the climate and utility costs.
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Why Do Some Electric Fireplaces Cost More To Operate?
Let me put it like this – it’s all about the power.
The cost follows the heater’s power. It is listed in watts or BTUs (1,500 watts is about 5,100 BTU), and a higher number costs more to run.
This isn’t anything new, it’s common sense.
Some electric fireplaces don’t have an option to automatically turn on and off, so they will heat the whole time it is turned on. You can expect higher costs with a fireplace like that.
Pick the appliance or type its watts, set the hours and your state: the cost per hour, per night and per month, before you buy.
So, Are Electric Fireplaces Considered Efficient?
An electric fireplace heater turns all the electricity it uses into heat, so a small room warms up well. Electricity still costs more per unit of heat than natural gas, so treat it as supplemental heat.
Also, you won’t have to deal with cleaning dirt and ash, so it saves you, even more, time and effort.
If you want to learn more about electric fireplaces, you should take a look at our in-depth guide about electric fireplaces.
Content writer from Croatia. Dominic studies Information Science at the University of Sarajevo, which helps him research and organize his work.
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