Be wary of burning cash on electric ‘fires’

AN ELECTRIC fire imitates the welcoming glow of the real thing – without the hassle of having to get the flue cleaned or emptying a grate full of ash once a week.

But the rising cost of electricity can make it an expensive option. When the new price cap kicks in next month, the cost of keeping one on for an hour will be around 68p on average. If you keep an electric fire on for five hours or so a day in winter, it might add £25 a week to energy bills – or £100 a month. Using the central heating may prove cheaper.

You could use a streaming service on your TV to recreate the effect of flickering flames.

Netflix offers ‘fireplace for your home’ while Amazon Prime Video has ‘relaxing beach campfire’ and YouTube shows ‘realtime fireplace’.