Should I have a gas fire or electric fire?

[Guest]

Hi, Just a quick question.

I have just moved into a little bungalow that I bought at auction/ it has no fire - just a hole/

The previous gas has been capped off -

So there are pipes there to have a new gas fire fitted.

But my question is: should I have a gas fire or electric fire?

Which is generally the most and least expensive.

I would only ever need to have it on to top up the radiator heating.

[Mark]

Gas is cheaper. But, there will be a cost of an annual safety/inspection that means if you only think you’d need it occasionally it could make gas more expansive overall.

Electricity eliminates the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning too (so even if you stick with gas its advisable to have a CO monitor in the room).

Gas burning appliances are also a contributor to of local air pollution outdoors.

Perhaps give it winter as it is and see how much you think you need it?

[Tracy]

If you've got a hole then get a wood burning stove rather than a gas or electric fire!

[Margaret]

We have gas central heating and a little electric fire that looks like a woodburner in the grate.

We usually just have the flame effect on - cost is negligible - on the very rare occasions we use the heating part, around 25p an hour on low.

Maybe see how cold it gets before deciding, you might not need much extra heat.

[Natalie]

We had our gas supply cut to our fire as we never used it as we realised more heat was going up the chimney than put into the room! It was very expensive!

[Sue]

I would go for gas. We made sure ours had manual ignition on it so it can be used to heat the room in the event of a power cut.

[Josephine]

My mother never used her gas fire because (Alzheimer's) she forgot how to operate it. She had it removed and a B&Q electric fire installed which had fancy options for log fire /coal fire /aquarium/stream running plus audio effects.

Effectively it was a convector heater so the heat came out of the top - which was no use for her cold feet.

After a year the chip failed so she lost all videos/sounds but the heater still operated.

Stick with gas...

[Alison]

Similar but in a 4 in a block flat. I'm desperate to have a gas fire back. In our old flat we had no central heating, just the fire.

It was cheap to run, made the place so cosy, and gave us heat where we needed it. I miss it.

[Jennifer]

We haven’t got a bungalow but a house we took out our gas fire it needed updating.

Now got electric one with coal effect it looks so cosy.

We only use rarely so made sense get cheaper option plus it’s got economy setting / temp cut out, for when we do use it. Gas is cheaper but needs yearly service.

[Marnie]

I'd be tempted to have an electric pretend fire that adds a warm glow to the room for the price of a light bulb.

I wouldn't necessarily have it with a heater as its be just as warm and same price to use a mobile heater for emergency use......you wouldn't need a flu so the chimney could be well insulated.

[Sandra]

We removed our gas fire and fitted an electric one, that flickers like a flame fire would. We only used the gas fire in ‘emergencies’ so it gathered dust and used to stink!!

Plus, burning it used to add to the condensation we were troubled with at that time.

[Mark]

Another thought came to mind. Depending on the age, size and insulation standard of your existing window in the room it might not be much of a cost difference upgrading the window in that room compared to the cost of having a gas fire fitted.

Then you’d potentially have a room which was snug enough without the need for a room fire at all, and the room would keep warm longer etc too.

If the bungalow hasn’t got cavity wall insulation that is also a similar sort of cost for a home and might give you the same result.

[Sharon]

Gas is over 3 times cheaper per KW than electricity to run.