Electric Fireplaces

An electric fireplace heater is a radiant and fan-forced heater with a flame effect built in. The heating element is what warms the room; the flames are LED and produce no heat at all. 

Most of our range runs at 1500W on high and 750W on low , with the larger Armidale models going to 1600W. In practical terms, 1500W will take the chill off a medium living room of roughly 35 square metres. It is zone heating rather than whole-house heating, so think of it as warming the room you are sitting in, not the entire floor plan. In a smaller bedroom or home office, the 750W setting is usually plenty and costs less to run. 

Two things worth knowing before you buy. The built-in timer lets you set it to switch off automatically, which matters if you tend to fall asleep in front of it. And on most models the heater only works when the flame effect is on, so you can have flames without heat, but not heat without flames. 

Everything is controlled by remote, including heat level, flame brightness and the timer. For more on where electric heating fits in an Australian home, read why electric fireplaces suit Australian homes . 

Mantel fireplaces are the most traditional looking and the most popular in our range. The firebox sits inside a full surround with a shelf on top, so it reads as a proper fireplace rather than an appliance. Ours come in white and black, roughly 99cm wide and 82.5cm high, and they only need basic assembly to attach the mantel to the unit. If you want a focal point on a blank wall, this is the one. 

• Freestanding fireplaces are the most flexible. They stand on the floor, need no fixing and can move between rooms or go into storage over summer. Sizes start at 90cm. Renters tend to pick these for obvious reasons, and you can read more in our guide on why portable electric fireplaces work for renters . Browse the full range in freestanding fireplaces . 
• Wall mounted fireplaces fix to the wall and take up no floor space, which suits narrow rooms and media walls. Our range runs up to 152cm wide. See the full selection in wall mounted fireplaces . 
• Built-in models recess into a wall or cabinet for a flush finish. The Berida units come in 50 inch and 60 inch and can be installed either recessed or freestanding, which is useful if you are not ready to commit to cutting into a wall. 

Still deciding? Our comparison of mantel versus wall mounted designs works through which suits which room. 

There is no flue, no gas line and no tradesperson. Every unit plugs into a standard 240V outlet. Freestanding models need nothing more than a power point. Mantel models take about 45 minutes to assemble with a screwdriver, according to our customers. Wall mounted and built-in units need fixing into the wall, and our installation height guide covers the clearances. 

On placement, the most common setup is under a wall mounted television. That works, but leave adequate clearance so rising warm air does not sit against the screen. Our guide on hanging a TV above an electric fireplace goes through it properly, and you can pair one with a TV unit to finish the wall. In a lounge, angle your sofa toward the fireplace rather than the screen if the fire is the focal point, and anchor the arrangement with a rug . 

Running costs are simple to work out because there is no efficiency loss. A 1500W heater uses 1.5kWh per hour on high, so at a typical Australian electricity rate that is roughly 45 to 50 cents an hour. On the 750W setting it halves. Flame-only mode uses a few watts, so running the glow all evening costs almost nothing. We go into the numbers in are electric fireplaces expensive to run . 

Every fireplace in this range is SAA certified , which is the Australian electrical safety approval, and several also carry CE, GS or CSA marks from other markets. 

The practical safety features matter more day to day. Overheat protection cuts power automatically if the unit gets too hot. Tempered glass fronts stay cool enough to touch, which is the question most parents ask first. And because nothing burns, there is no carbon monoxide, no sparks and no ash. 

Maintenance is close to nothing. Wipe the glass and the surround occasionally with a dry cloth, keep the vents clear of dust, and that is it. No chimney sweep, no flue inspection, no ash to carry out. 

On leaving one running unattended, our overnight safety guide covers it in detail, and the timer function is the sensible answer for most people. To finish the room, browse our wider home decor range.