Full Answer
How much does it cost to run your gas fireplace?
Cost To Run Gas & Electric Fireplaces. The average cost to run a natural gas fireplace is $0.70 per hour, or about $60 per year, while propane costs $2.30 per hour. The cost to run an electric fireplace is $0.15 per hour.
How much does it cost to run a propane fireplace?
The average cost to run a gas fireplace is $0.70 per hour, and propane fireplaces cost $2.30 per hour. It costs $125 to annually maintain a gas fireplace and another $225 to install an electrical outlet for the fireplace. The average gas fireplace costs $2,000 to build between labor, materials, and add-ons.
Are gas fireplaces expensive to run?
Natural gas is a fairly inexpensive form of energy, so a gas fireplace is inexpensive to run. Gas fireplaces cost 17-19 cents an hour to run, or about $60 annually, Electric Fireplaces Direct says. Choosing to turn on a gas fireplace or a gas furnace really depends on what you want to accomplish.
How many BTU per hour does a fireplace use?
How many BTU does a gas fireplace use? Gas Fireplaces Log sets may use anywhere from 60,000 to 90,000 BTUs per hour and are very inefficient for heating, since most of the heat goes right up the chimney.
How much does a fireplace cost per hour?
The resulting operating cost is 29 cents per hour.
How to calculate cost per hour for gas fireplace?
To calculate the cost per hour of operating a gas fireplace, you'll need to know the local cost of gas per therm and the fireplace's fuel consumption in BTUs per hour. This information should be specified in the unit's owner manual and on a label on the box or the unit itself. Multiply the fireplace's BTU rating by the per-therm cost of gas and divide the result by 100,000 to get the per-hour cost of running the fireplace.
How to compare gas fireplace to electric heat?
To compare the cost of operating a gas fireplace to the cost of electric heat, you must first determine how much electricity costs per therm so that you can compare the two appliances directly. The cost of electricity is typically given in kilowatt hours, and one kilowatt hour is equivalent to 3,413 BTUs. To convert the cost of electricity to therms, multiply the kilowatt-hour cost of electricity by 100,000, then divide the result by 3,413.
How to convert electricity to therms?
To convert the cost of electricity to therms, multiply the kilowatt-hour cost of electricity by 100,000, then divide the result by 3,413. For example, in March of 2015 the average cost of electricity in the United States was about 12 cents per kilowatt hour. Therefore, using the formula (.12 x 100,000)/3,413, the cost per therm ...
What is a BTU on a gas fireplace?
One BTU is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
What is the difference between a gas fireplace and a gas furnace?
The differences lie in the heat output and efficiency of the appliances. Gas furnaces typically consume much more fuel and produce much more heat than a gas fireplace , but they are also usually significantly more efficient, so more of their energy consumption is converted to usable heat.
Is a gas fireplace cheaper than a gas central heating system?
The differences lie in the heat output and efficiency of the appliances. Gas furnaces typically consume much more fuel and produce much more heat than a gas fireplace, but they are also usually significantly more efficient, so more of their energy consumption is converted to usable heat. Therefore, although the per-hour cost of operating a gas furnace will be higher than the cost of operating a gas fireplace, a forced-air central furnace will be better able to efficiently heat a larger space.
What Is BTU, and How Is It Figured?
The energy consumption of a gaslight fireplace is usually stated in British Thermal Units. One BTU is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
How Much Does a Gaslight Fireplace Cost?
Gaslight fireplaces can cost anywhere from $500 to $3,500. This is regardless of the vent type of general type that is selected. It does not include the cost of the professional installation, which can cost $75 to $150 per hour.
Why do we need BTU?
Depending on where you live, you will need different BTU levels to heat your home by running a gaslight fireplace properly .
What is a natural vent?
A natural vent is sometimes called a B vent. It uses the present chimney from the traditional fireplace. It will exhaust the by-products of the gaslight fireplace to the outside by using a flexible liner. They also have a single pipe installed within the chimney. 2.
How much does it cost to run a gas fireplace?
The average cost to run a gas fireplace is $0.70 per hour , and propane fireplaces cost $2.30 per hour. It costs $125 to annually maintain a gas fireplace and another $225 to install an electrical outlet for the fireplace. The average gas fireplace costs $2,000 to build between labor, materials, and add-ons.
What is a gas fireplace?
Gaslight fireplaces use natural gas instead of wood to heat a room. It looks like a traditional wood fireplace, but instead of wood, it ignites with the push of a spark button. This saves effort and the costs of burning and cutting wood.
How much does it cost to have a chimney inspection?
A chimney inspection will be mandatory before a gas fireplace can be installed and can cost $100 to $200. A professional will be able to clean your chimney and let you know if your chimney can accommodate a gas fireplace.
How much does it cost to run a gas fireplace?
The other great thing about gas fireplaces is that they are pretty cheap to run, and natural gas about the least costly power source available. The amount of gas a fireplace uses depends on the model, but is often measured in the arcane-sounding British Thermal Units.
How to determine the cost of a gas fireplace?
So, to determine the cost of running your gas fireplace, simply divide its BTU rating by 100,000 and multiply that figure by the cost of a therm.
Is the cost of a gas fireplace worth it?
Gas fireplaces start at a few hundred dollars but can cost thousands – plus the cost of fitting. Whether that’s for you depends on your situation, but there is no denying that a modern fireplace using natural gas for fuel is cheap to run and almost maintenance-free.
Do gas fireplaces give off heat?
Although log sets give little heat, both inserts and built-ins are good providers of warmth. They give radiant heat and suck in cold air. In fact, glass-fronted gas fires built into a wall or hearth are a very efficient way of heating a room and rival furnaces in their ability to convert power into heat.
How much BTU does a gas fireplace use?
Let’s say, for example, that a gas fireplace uses about 38,000 BTU/h when fully on. That means it is going to use (38,000 ÷ 100,000) 0.38 therms an hour.
What is the difference between a gas fireplace and a furnace?
A well-maintained furnace will have an efficiency rating of approaching 95%, while a gas fireplace is likely to be below that (though some are in the 90% class) and will therefore cost more per therm . Bear in mind that a real wood fireplace has an efficiency of just 30%.
How much does natural gas cost in 2020?
The average price of natural gas in the US in 2020 was around $11 per thousand cubic feet 1, equating to about $1.06 per therm. That means that a 38,000 BTU gas fireplace costs approximately $0.40 an hour to run.
How to find average cost of a gas fireplace?
To find the average cost, you’ll need to multiply the BTU output of your fireplace by the cost per therm your provider charges. For example, if your gas fireplace puts out 50,000 BTUs and your gas provider charges .60 per therm the mathematical equation would be: 50,000 X 0.60/100,000= 0.30 per hour to operate.
How does a BTU work?
The way a BTU works is that one BTU has the power to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
What is the most important choice when choosing a gas fireplace system?
Deciding what is economically responsible for your home and family is going to be the most important choice when you pick a gas fireplace system. While it’s important to pick something that benefits your life, don’t let initial gas fireplace installation costs be a deterring factor when it comes to your heating source.
How to calculate monthly cost of gas fireplace?
To determine the monthly cost to run a gas fireplace you would then multiply the hourly operating cost by the hours used during the month . It should be noted that there may be a minimal electrical cost associated with the blowers used by gas fireplaces.
How does a vent free fireplace work?
While a vent-free fireplace is one of the most efficient gas fireplace models, the hot air they emit per hour will immediately rise to the top of the room before it circulates to the rest of your living space. This means that you must first heat the space above you before you will feel the heat at ground level.
What is a direct vent fireplace?
A better alternative in larger spaces that require more heat circulation might be a direct vent fireplace. Direct vent fireplaces are designed to radiate heat at the ground level, avoiding the expense of heating the space above. Now, we know that was a lot to process.
Is a gas fireplace more efficient than a propane fireplace?
These two types of fueling methods aren’t very different from one another, but natural gas is slightly more cost-effective than propane. However, propane is known for its energy efficiency compared to natural gas. All in all, both fueling methods have their advantages and disadvantages, it just depends on what you currently have running in your home.
How much does an electric fireplace cost?
At a rate of $.118 per kWh, a 1,500 Watt electric fireplace will cost around $.18 per hour, outputting 5,100 BTU. If you run your electric fireplace 3 hours per day, that comes out to around $16 per month.
Can you use an energy compare website to get an example rate for your area per therm?
You can use an energy compare website to get an example rate for your area per therm.
Is it cheaper to heat with a Gas or Electric Fireplace?
If you do an apples-to-apples comparison, outputting 5,100 BTU with Gas at $1.06/therm is around $.05 per hour VS Electric’s $.18 per hour. Gas is clearly cheaper. In addition to comparing the costs you have to keep in mind that electric fireplaces are currently built to output at most 10,000 BTU. That’s a far cry from a 60,000 BTU large gas fireplace.
Size of Your Home
How large is the space you are heating? Does the fireplace need to stay on constantly to keep it warm or does it turn on and off sparingly to maintain temperature?
Volume of Space to Heat
Does your home have high ceilings? What is the total volume of air that needs to be heated. The greater the volume the longer the unit needs to run to maintain temperature.
Construction of the Home
How old is the home? Is it well insulated? Is it air-tight? All of these will affect the heating capacity of the gas fireplace.
Fireplace Usage
Is the fireplace being used constantly as a sole source of heat? Or is the gas fireplace used occasional as supplemental zone heater? Fireplace usage is the single biggest factor affecting operating cost for the year.
Environmental Factors
Do you live in a windy area or in higher altitude? How cold does it get outside? This will tell you a lot about your gas consumption as it’s a direct correlation to what the gas fireplace, stove or insert needs to counter in order to keep you warm.
Cost of Gas in Your Region
The price of gas varies dramatically throughout North America. When researching a gas fireplace heater, you should research your local gas service providers rates to get an idea of the price of gas in your region. Typically, natural gas will be priced between $1-$2 per therm (1 therm is approx. 100,000 BTUs).
