How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Fireplace in Iowa? (2026)

An electric fireplace is a 1,500 to 2,000 watt space heater with a flame effect. The flame display alone uses 10 to 20 watts, so running it for ambience without heat costs almost nothing.

A typical electric fireplace (1,500 W) costs $0.24 per hour, or about $28.67 per month at 4 hours a day in Iowa. Average running cost

Hours used per day
WattagePer hourPer dayPer monthPer year
Low 750 W$0.12$0.48$14.34$71.69
Typical 1,500 W$0.24$0.96$28.67$143.37
High 2,000 W$0.32$1.27$38.23$191.16

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 4 h/day for about 150 days a year (the heating season) ≈ 900 kWh per year.

One hour of an electric fireplace (1.5 kWh) is the same electricity as

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #81 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In Iowa, with electricity at 15.9¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical electric fireplace costs $0.24 per hour and about $143.37 per year at 4 hours a day. That is about 13% less than the national average for the US ($33.01 per month), because electricity in Iowa costs 15.9¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 4.2 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running an electric fireplace

In standby it draws about 1 W, which adds roughly 9 kWh ($1.40) per year if it is never unplugged.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an electric fireplace cost to run per hour?

At 1,500 watts with heat, the same as a space heater. Flame only, about 0.015 kWh.

Is an electric fireplace cheaper than gas?

It is more efficient but electricity is usually pricier per unit of heat, so gas often costs less per hour.

Can an electric fireplace heat a whole room?

Yes, up to about 40 square metres, like any 1,500 watt heater.

Compare with

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Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz