Which is cheaper to run, a gas fireplace or an electric fireplace?
In Black Mountain, natural-gas mains give gas the edge for real heat, and the Swannanoa Valley's cold-morning inversions — often 10 to 15 degrees colder than Asheville — mean you'll want that heat. Electric is cheaper only for flame-only ambiance; for warming a room, gas beats an electric heater's coil handily.
Cold valley mornings tilt you toward heat
The valley's temperature inversions pool cold air, and frost dates run later into spring than Asheville's, so you're heating more days than you'd think. An electric fireplace heater tops out around 5,000 BTU on a 1,500-watt coil — the most expensive way to make warmth here — and quits entirely in a power failure. A gas unit like the Napoleon Ascent 36 puts out several times the heat for less, and its battery-backup ignition keeps it lighting when the grid's down.
Montreat's shaded, damp lots
Up in Montreat, heavily wooded lots keep houses cool, shaded, and moisture-prone — hard conditions for an open masonry flue. A sealed direct-vent gas unit vents out a sidewall and stays clean and dry, while a wall electric offers cheap flame-only ambiance with nothing to service. Running the gas line is licensed work; we pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector. We're just 15 minutes east of our Emma Rd showroom — call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Black Mountain
We install and service fireplaces throughout Black Mountain and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What's the difference between a gas fireplace and an electric fireplace?
- Does an electric fireplace put out as much heat as a gas fireplace?
- Is it cheaper to heat your house with wood or with gas?
- Does a gas fireplace add more home value than an electric fireplace?
- Is it worth switching from a wood-burning fireplace to an electric fireplace?