How much does it cost per hour to run an electric fireplace?
In Arden, an electric fireplace runs at about one and a half times your per-kWh rate per hour — a small, predictable cost. Its real value in the 1980s-90s homes of Royal Pines and Skyland: those tired open masonry fireplaces actually pull heat out of a room, while a plug-in electric quietly puts warmth into the room you're using.
The opposite of a drafty open firebox
Plenty of Arden's established Skyland and Royal Pines homes have open masonry fireplaces that are net heat losers — a big cold flue draining warmth up the chimney. An electric unit is the opposite: sealed, ductless, and heating only the space in front of it, at a cost you can price as roughly a kilowatt and a half an hour times your rate. Add the flame-only setting for year-round ambiance at a few watts. It's a targeted way to warm the den or bedroom without feeding that drafty old firebox — though it won't fix the firebox itself.
The stronger fix, and a note for Biltmore Park
If you want to stop the heat loss at the source, the better move on one of these Arden fireplaces is a sealed gas insert with a liner — it plugs the drafty flue, and on natural-gas mains here in Buncombe County it runs cheaper per BTU than electric while heating through an outage. Electric's honest lane stays supplemental: about 5,000 BTU, one room, roughly 400 square feet, dark when the power's out. Around Biltmore Park's offices, that plug-in flame is also an easy commercial touch with no venting.
Compare the two on-site
We're 15 minutes south of our Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment, and we'll compare a simple electric add against an insert that turns a drafty fireplace into a real heater — right in your room, no pressure.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How much electricity does an electric fireplace use?
- Does the flame effect alone use much electricity on an electric fireplace?
- Does an electric fireplace draw electricity when it's switched off or in standby?
- Can an electric fireplace plug into a standard household outlet?
- Do electric fireplaces come in 240-volt versions, and do they put out more heat?