Electric Fire Heat Output: How Much Heat Does an Electric Fireplace Give Out?

When buying an electric fire, one of the things that is likely to be in your thoughts is how much heat it gives off. While electric fire heat output is something to keep in mind when choosing your fire, it is nowhere near as big a consideration as the heat output when buying a wood-burning stove.

For starters, there is nowhere near as much variation in electric fire heat output as in wood-burning stove heat output. Woodburners start from a 4kW heat output and go right up to 8kW and higher. Electric fire heat outputs tend to be between 1kW and 2kW.

Despite the discrepancy in heat output, an electric fire will provide good warmth to most rooms. There are a few reasons for this:

100% efficiency

An electric fire is 100% efficient at the point of use. When you operate a 2kW electric fire, the entirety of its heat output is going towards heating your room because nothing is being burned. With open fires, gas fires or woodburners, a significant proportion of the heat output generated is being lost straight up the chimney. This could be anywhere between 80% of the heat output of an electric fire to 15% of the heat output of the latest Ecodesign stoves.

Total consistency

The 100% efficiency mentioned above brings with it total consistency of electric fire heat output. An electric fire’s heat output is more or less the same (give or take a moment of warming up) from the minute you switch it on until the minute you switch it off. With other types of fire, there are peaks and troughs in the heat output depending on what stage of burning the fuel is at and how the fire is being operated. Electric fire heat output is dependable and reliable.

What size of electric fire heat output do I need?

An electric fire heat output of 1.5kW should generate around 5000BTU (British Thermal Units), which is plenty to heat a small to medium-sized living room. Upping the heat output to 2kW will generate approximately 6,800BTU, while some electric fires hit 10,000BTU, which will be suitable for larger rooms.

For very large rooms, the voltage of the electricity supplied to homes creates a constraint. Electric fire manufacturers can’t increase the heat output without creating an appliance that will be too powerful for the voltage available.

Ready to find an electric fire?

If you’re ready to find an electric fire with the right heat output for your room, feel free to browse our range of appliance.