Best Gas Fires

When considering fireplace efficiency you need to consider the appliance type and the fuel you will use to figure out the best gas fire for you. Most high efficiency gas fires use glass on the front to stop heat escaping from the room up the chimney or flue system, including our range of inset gas fires. The alternative is a flueless gas fire, a bio ethanol fireplace or an electric fire all of which are 100% efficient. The difference is that gas is 70% cheaper per Kw than electric or bio ethanol.

To compare the true running costs of different types of gas fire you need to compare them “like for like” using the “input kw rating” of the appliance and the efficiency rating. The table below summaries the different types of gas fires available and compares them with the same heat input to find out the best UK gas fires.

	The heat input rating (Kw) of the appliance is the “running cost”.
	The efficiency rating of the appliance decides how much of the heat you pay for ends up in the room.

Most Cost Effective Fuel Types

So, what are the most budget friendly options if you're looking at different types of fuel to supplement your central heating?

• Gas @ 4.5p per Kw/Hr
• Electric @ 13.8p per Kw/Hr
• Bio-Ethanol @ 275p per Litre
• Annual Cost is based on 3 hours per night for 120 days (4 months).

The most cost effective way to add extra heat is to use gas. If you need 4kW or less heat you should choose a flueless gas fire, if you need more than 4kW of heat then you should choose a balanced flue gas fire. The amount of heat you require depends on the size of the room and how well insulated your house is. If you’re unsure then please call us and we can help advise you on the best solution. To give you an idea of what 4kW is like, imagine a room with two extra radiators.

What is Energy Efficiency?

Are you looking for energy efficiency to save money on your heating bills or to get more heat into your room? Whatever your reason, understanding energy efficiency is an important step towards choosing the best gas fire for your home.

Energy Efficiency is not just about the efficiency rating of the fire. There are other factors that need to be taken into account. The most energy efficient product you can buy today will use gas and will either be a flueless gas fire that doesn’t need a chimney, or a high efficiency inset gas fire which uses an existing chimney and upgrades it to high efficiency or a balanced flue gas fire which need a special flue system. All other forms of heating may provide heat but will cost you more for that heat. It’s an established fact that gas is the cheapest fuel per Kw of heat.

Here’s a couple of examples of how you can save money and keep or even improve heat into the room!

If you have a 6kw open flame fire this will cost you 27p/hour to run and provide 1.5kw of heat into your room. If you replace this with a CVO high efficiency fire like the Bailey it will only cost you 9p/hour to run and still give you 1.5kw into the room. That’s a saving of 67% on running costs. This is because the Bailey has a 2kw burner and is glass fronted with 77% efficiency.

If you have a 6kw open flame fire this will cost you 27p/hour to run and provide 1.5kw of heat into your room. If you replace this with a CVO high efficiency wall mounted fire like the Blade it will only cost you 21p/hour to run but will give you 3.9kw of heat into the room. That’s an additional 150% of heat with 22% less cost. This is because the Blade has a 4.6kw burner and is glass fronted with 84% efficiency.