2kW electric fire running costs
The kilowatt-hour (kWh) measurement dictates how much energy the fire uses per hour. For example, you would only need to run the 2 kWh Elgin & Hall Volta 32" Electric Fire for 30 minutes to generate 1 kWh. 2 kWh electric fires are highly efficient, eco-friendly appliances that give you full control over your home heating.
Modern models, like the Celsi Accent Infusion Electric Fire, often come with a thermal cutout: an automatic thermal cut-out safety feature reduces the risk of damage to the electric appliance due to overheating. If the appliance overheats the heater element will cut out whilst the fan will still continue to run to allow the fire to cool down sufficiently. Plus, the flame effect of 2 kW electric fires can be used independently of its heat source.
Will a 2kW electric fire heat a room?
Yes, 2kW electric fires can produce 1 kW of heat in 30 minutes. As they are 100% efficient, all the heat generated will go towards warming your home. A 2 kW fire like the Be Modern Avella Grande Electric Fire can generate up to 6,800 BTUs (British Thermal Units) every hour. BTUs are a standard of measurement used to represent the heat output of electric fires.
How well a fire can warm your home also depends on the size of the room it’s in and the quality of your insulation. A 2kW electric fire can usually adequately heat a small to medium-sized room, such as a bedroom, home office, or small living room especially if you also have central heating. If these rooms are well-insulated, they will be able to hold onto the heat more effectively.
2kW electric fire running costs
To calculate a 2kw electric fire’s running costs, first, you need to find the heat input, your estimated usage time in hours, and the cost of your energy in pence per kW. As electric fires are 100% efficient, their heat input is the same as their heat output. Take the Dimplex Brayford electric stove, for example: as a 2kW electric fire, no heat will be lost through the chimney, and its energy input stays at 2kW.
Next, estimate how often you’re going to use your fire: we’ll use an average of two hours per night to work out the daily cost for UK homeowners. Now that you have the heat input and your estimated usage time in hours, multiply the two figures to get the kWh. This gives us a total of 4kWh.
Now, you need to find the average price of electricity. As of August 2023, this is estimated at 34p/kWh. Multiply the 4kWh of your fire with the cost of electricity to find the running costs of your 2kW electric fire for 2 hours. In our example, this comes to 136p or £1.36 per day. You can repeat this calculation to find the cost per month, week, day and hour.
Are 2kW electric fires expensive to run?
The cost of running a 2kW electric fire can vary based on several factors, including electricity rates and usage patterns. However, they are relatively inexpensive to run and are an eco-friendly way to keep your home warm. You can use this formula to work out the running costs of any fire, gas or electric:
energy input in kW x estimated usage time = kWh
kWh x cost of electricity = running costs
running costs ÷ 100 = running costs in £0.00
However, keep in mind that this is a simplified calculation. The actual cost may vary due to other variables such as how well your room retains heat. Additionally, if your electric fire has adjustable heat settings (many electric fires come with just 2 different heat settings), running it at lower settings will consume less electricity and, therefore, cost less to run.
