Gas Fireplace/Central Heat

**dianne9106** · 11-25-2007, 06:42 PM

We have a newer home that most likely uses standard insulation with double pane vinyl windows and vinyl siding. We have central air/heating that uses gas for heating. I have been trying to keep the temp down to 66 but my DH and DS have boycoted and turned it up 68. I have heard it all when comes to how cold they are - I tell them if they get up and run the vacuum cleaner or iron some clothes they would warm up nicely. My DD room stays really cool as it's on the north side with very little sun light - as a result is is much colder at night, so we have purchased a small heater with a thermostat for her room - it was a little spendy but it has all of the safety features on it. We also have a gas fireplace in the family room that puts out a great deal of heat. When my DS has had enough, he starts that up to "stay warm". Today we purchased some window insulation kits, socket insulating kits, and some weather stripping in hopes of keeping our heat in more. My question is: does anyone know about how much it cost to run the gas fireplace for about 3 hours a day verus turning the heat up to 68? I know some folks are turning their heat down even farther, but I would never get away with that. I want to keep our house warm, but at a reasonable cost. I am not sure if I can insulate all our windows as I have roman shades on some of them with would keep my from using the plastic in some of the keys areas. Thanks for any input.
Dianne

**kabin63** · 11-26-2007, 09:38 AM

I don't have any kind of fire place or wood burner, but I have seen the gas fire place in the local library branch. I have wondered, as I sat near by and felt the warmth, how much gas it uses. I would call the gas company and ask them if they have an idea about gas usage for a gas fire place.

**EnergyBoomer** · 11-29-2007, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by dianne9106

My question is: does anyone know about how much it cost to run the gas fireplace for about 3 hours a day verus turning the heat up to 68?
Dianne

Greeting Dianne9106

Thank you for your proud support of your DH's service to our country. I know being the at home boss of a military family ain't easy. Us veterans got to stick together.

I am not familiar with the cost of running gas fire places. Our friends have one that seems to be mostly for show. I would have to do some fact finding before I can give you an engineer answer. But.. In general it is less expensive to "spot heat" one room and let the rest of the house to stay cooler. Think of the size of the room where the fire place is compared to the size of the rest of your house. If the rest of the house is much bigger boosting the temperature in one room a few degrees is very likely to be less expensive than boosting the whole house even if the furnace is much more efficient.

If your gas fireplace is one of the newer ones with a PVC pipe in place of a real chimney most of the heat from the fire stays in the house.

Birney Summers
Energy Boomer blog

**SilverEagle** · 12-25-2011, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by kabin63

I don't have any kind of fire place or wood burner, but I have seen the gas fire place in the local library branch. I have wondered, as I sat near by and felt the warmth, how much gas it uses. I would call the gas company and ask them if they have an idea about gas usage for a gas fire place.

I wondered about this too, so I kept a log book of the time I used the gas fireplace, then I compared my gas bill to the previous and next month, as well as the previous January. This was in 2002 in Houston, TX and it raised my electric bill 50 cents per hour that I used it, vs. 9 cents per hour with my central gas heat alone.