Heating the house is one of the main expenses for our pocket each winter. There are several alternatives, but the majority of Spanish households (more than 30%), according to INE data, use a gas boiler and radiators. Given the rise in the price of the kWh, many families have switched to the rate of last resort (TUR), while others are opting for more sustainable systems, such as aerothermal energy or pellets. There are also those who have changed the wood-burning fireplace for an electric one.
To reduce the consumption of any of the systems, from the most traditional to the most innovative, it is necessary to prevent the cold from entering through the doors, windows or the drawer of the blinds because they do not fit well and keep warm with enough clothes. There are also cheap devices that help us regulate the temperature for hours and rooms, and that can be managed from the mobile phone.
Two of the most sought after systems, we compare the price of a pellet stove with an electric fireplace to see which is more interesting based on the needs of each one.
Pellet stove: consumption in 10 hours, between €4 and €5.50
It is a natural product, which does not pollute or is toxic. It can be used both for heating the house and for hot water. It is very respectful with the environment and one of the most economical systems in the medium and long term, since an initial investment is necessary for the installation that slows down many people.
This system expels hot air from the front of the stove to heat a room. But the advantage over the electric fireplace is that you can also distribute it through a circuit that reaches the rooms of the house (if the installation is available). It is recommended for large houses with space to accumulate the bags of pellets that must be introduced into the boiler.
The pellets are normally bought in 15kg bags at an approximate price of between 6 and 8 euros. An expense of 1 kilo per hour is estimated, that is, about 40-55 cents per hour. If the stove is on about 10 hours a day, the daily consumption would be between 4 and 5.50 euros. The OCU raises it to an annual expense for a 90m2 house and indicates that the average annual expense would be 545 euros, although the number of hours that will be used will always appear.
Electric fireplace: consumption in 10 hours, between €2 and €6
The first thing to take into account when buying an electric fireplace is the square meters that we need to heat. This is key to deciding on one or the other model. The higher the power, the more expensive it will be (between 100 and 600 euros approximately) and its consumption will also rise. If the space exceeds 20 square meters, the cost begins to skyrocket. In any case, they are more environmentally friendly than gas or wood stoves, which produce residual toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and dioxide. In addition, the use of energy is higher, since 100% of the electricity is converted into heat.
One of the advantages over the pellet stove is that it does not require a smoke outlet or pipes. The disadvantage, that it only serves to heat a room. There are models that can be moved from one room to another without a problem. Its installation is easier, as well as its maintenance. Consumption is similar to a pellet stove, although it is always more dependent on the price of electricity. With powers around 900W to 3000W, consumption varies between 1 and 3kWh. So to find out how much it will cost us to have it on, we have to go to our bill and see the price at which we pay per kWh and multiply it by the time in which we intend to have it on.
The price of consumption will also vary if we have contracted a rate for hourly sections, since at peak hours it is much more expensive. To do the calculation we will take as an example a tariff in which the price of the kWh does not vary throughout the day and is 20 cents with taxes. Depending on the fireplace model, consumption can vary between 20 and 60 cents per hour. With 10 hours a day, between 2 and 6 euros a day.
