How much does it cost to run an electric fireplace?
EIA data · June 2026About $25.10 a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
136.9 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 750–1,500 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
60% duty cycle applied — it draws power for part of that time.
An electric fireplace is #14 of 88 on this site by annual cost, so it is probably not the only thing worth checking. See what an electric fireplace costs beside everything else you run.
Published figures for this appliance disagree by a wide margin. Why other sites price an electric fireplace so differently.
How many watts an electric fireplace uses
Plug-in electric fireplaces are 120-volt appliances and are therefore built to the same 1,500 W ceiling as portable space heaters. Most offer a 750 W low setting, and the flame effect alone draws under 50 W.
- Low
- 750 W
- Typical
- 1,500 W
- High
- 1,500 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 1,500 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $866 |
| California | 34.74 | $571 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $486 |
| New York | 29.49 | $484 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $315 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $262 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $248 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $220 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $218 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $215 |
Worth knowing
- The flame effect and the heater are independent. Running the visuals without the element costs a few dollars a year rather than a few hundred.
- As a heater it is identical in cost to any other 1,500 W resistance appliance — the cabinet changes the look, not the physics.
- It heats the room it is in, which is why it can be cheaper than raising the whole-house thermostat for one occupied room.
Other appliances
- Space heater
- Central air conditioner
- Window air conditioner
- Dehumidifier
- Ceiling fan
- Electric blanket
- Heat pump
- Electric baseboard heater
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.