Gas fire or Electric Fire

[OAP]

Hi Folks
not sure if this is the right place for this question but here goes

At the moment I have a Valor Black Beauty, living flame gas fire, to provide
a focal point and additional heating in the lounge, the the main heating is Gas Central heating, the fire is very old and is now faulty, the question is which will be cheaper to run a replacement gas fire or an electric fire of equivalent heat output

Thanks OAP (Ham)

 

[JohnD]

the cost of energy from electricity is two or three times as high as the cost of electricity from gas

it will usually be more efficient to use your gas CH. A small ornamental thing to sit round will be expensive to run

A living flame fire (you mean gas coals?) is quite inefficient as a lot of the heat goes up the chimney.

 

[dcawkwell]

If you are only heating one room of the house running
the gas fire is cheaper than running central heating for the whole house.

A gas fire is cheaper to run than an electric fire or the central heating.

You can get condensing gas fires that approach efficiences of gas boilers.

Unlikely there is anything every expensive to fix on the existing gas
fire usually only a thermocouple and that will be £5.

 

[Phill Peck]

An electric fire will cost less to install and maintain and overall should provide a more efficient heat than a gas fire as most of the heat from gas will go up the chimney and also more than likely u will need a air vent into the room

However if you have a powercut your ch won't work and nor will an electric fire.
A traditional gas fire (without remote or electronic ignition) can provide heat in a powercut.

The call is yours my opinion is that gas fires especially fuel effect and open flued fires are not ideal especially if you have young children around

I take out more gas fires than I install or maintain

 

[gasbanni]

Gas fire every time lower running costs...............
electric fires don't throw the heat out even the ones with a fan convector.

http://cfm-europe.com/Flavel_Warwick

Fitted one of these and it threw the heat out !!

 

[alan999]

I find I need to use the gas fire in my lounge to counteract the cold air coming down the flue in winter. I'm sure the radiator would cope if I removed the fire and blocked the flue up. However it is attractive and my wife really likes it.
I think the flame effect of the modern electric fires also look good and are very cheap to run - but not the heating side of course. In my case I wouldnt use the heating side often and I reckon I'd be quids in in the long term if I replaced my gas fire to electric - I'll get round to it sometime.
It really depends on how often you will need to heat the room with an electric fire over the course of a year. The cost of electric heating can seriously mount up.

 

[Nige F]

. However it is attractive and my wife really likes it.
.

As are you , I`m sure

 

[OAP]

Thanks for reply's folks

The central heating heats the whole house, to about 18 Deg and the gas fire in the lounge is used to add to the temperature not being temperature controlled after a while even when on its lowest setting the lounge becomes to hot, by turning off the fire I loose the focal point, hence the thought of an electric fire with focal point and temperature control

 

[ChrisR]

You could get the CH Balanced, such that the living room is warmer than the rest of the house. Basically tun down all the radiators except the one in the LR. Thermostatic rad valves would do it for you.