4. How much does an electric fire consume compared to a gas or wood fire?
Obviously, the higher the stove is on, the more energy the fire consumes. Besides the luxury and atmosphere you experience from a stove, it is also a very efficient local heating system. In the hours the stove is burning, you combine atmosphere and cosiness with local heating. This puts less strain on the central heating boiler.
Recently, gas prices have risen, but what is the effect of this? Does an electric fire really consume that much less? Below we give calculation examples comparing the consumption of an electric fire with that of a gas and wood fire. We only consider the consumption costs, not the costs you might save because the boiler does less work.
Calculation example: electric fire consumption
The electric fire uses up to 2000 watts in the highest heating setting. It heats up to 28 degrees Celsius. Nice and warm, in other words! Assuming 3 hours of use per evening at the highest heating setting:
- The consumption per evening is 6000W.
- The cost per evening is €4.65 (based on average tariff August 2022).
As the average user often only uses the heating setting temporarily and does not constantly use the highest setting, the costs are usually lower in practice.
Calculation example: gas fire consumption
The consumption of a gas fire naturally depends on the heating behaviour and the capacity of the fire. The most commonly sold DRU gas fires have a capacity of around 7 kW at the highest setting. Assuming 3 hours of use per evening with an output of 7 kW:
- The consumption per evening at full setting is 3 cubic metres (1 cubic metre per hour).
- The cost per evening at full setting is €10.35 (based on average tariff August 2022).
Our advice is to run the fire with Eco Wave as much as possible. You will then save 30% to 50% on the above.
A propane fire? Almost all DRU gas fires can burn on (BIO) propane gas cylinders, the most common being a 10.5 kg bottle. Using the same assumptions as above, you will consume 300cc to 500cc of propane per hour. So a standard bottle can burn for about 25 to 30 hours.
- Consumption per evening in full mode (3 hours of firing daily) is over 8 days per bottle.
- The cost per bottle is (rates January 2022) between €35 and €40. Converted to about €4.50 per evening.
Again, in the recommended Eco Wave mode, you save 30% to 50% on the above.
Calculation example: wood fire consumption
The consumption of a wood fire also depends on the heating behaviour and the capacity of the fire. The most ideal (and CO2-neutral) method is to burn your own wood. This is free and better for the environment. Is this not the case? Then you often use dried wood bought on a pallet.
A pallet of wood is 2 cubic metres of stacked wood, a total of 800 kg. Each kilo of wood releases 4 kW of energy, a whole pallet contains 3200 kW of energy. The efficiency of a modern fire is 80% on average, leaving 2560 kW of energy available in the end. The cost of a pallet of dried wood is about €400 (January 2022). Assuming 3 hours of use per evening:
- The consumption of 1 kW costs €0.15.
- At 7 kW per hour, the cost per evening is €3.40 (based on average rate 2022).
Do you buy local wood and dry it yourself? Then the price per pallet is usually lower. The heating cost per evening is then about €2.50 per evening.