One of the first questions people ask about an electric fire is what it will add to the electricity bill. The answer depends on two things: how much power the heater uses, and what you pay per unit of electricity. This guide works it through for our Econovex deep range, which uses a 3kW PTC heater.
The simple formula
Electricity is billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A heater running at 1kW for one hour uses 1kWh. So:
cost per hour = heater power in kW x price per kWh
From 1 October to 31 December 2026, the Ofgem price cap rate for electricity is 26.32p per kWh for a typical direct debit customer.
Running costs for the Econovex deep range
The heater has two settings: low at 1.5kW and high at 3kW.
| How you use it | Low (1.5kW) | High (3kW) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 39p | 79p |
| A 4-hour evening | £1.58 | £3.16 |
| 4 hours a day for a week | £11.05 | £22.11 |
| 4 hours a day for a month (30 days) | £47.38 | £94.75 |
Worked out at 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, with the heater running at full output on that setting. Your own tariff may be different.
Heat output in BTU
Heat output is often quoted in BTU (British Thermal Units). One kilowatt is about 3,412 BTU per hour, so:
- Low (1.5kW): 5,118 BTU
- High (3kW): 10,236 BTU
Where the heat goes
An electric heater turns the electricity it uses into heat in the room. There is no flue or chimney, so none of it is lost up a chimney, and there is no gas supply or annual flue service to arrange.
Ways to keep costs down
- Use the low setting once the room is warm. It costs half as much per hour as high.
- Set the timer. The remote has a timer from 1 to 9 hours, so the fire switches off on its own.
- Heat the room you are using. A fire warms the room it is in, which can mean leaving central heating lower elsewhere in the house.
- Check your own tariff. If you pay less than the price cap rate, your costs will be lower than the table above; if you pay more, they will be higher.
See the full panoramic fires range for sizes and prices.
Source for the unit rate: Ofgem, "Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026".
