Electric fireplace buying guide
Updated: 22.10.2026
You are choosing a first electric fire for a UK living room, and the listing is shouting about flame colours before you have measured the wall. The decision that fits the room is the opening you already have, then the watts, then whether the flame can run with the heater off. This electric fireplace buying guide uses twelve amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026, priced from £59.99 to £250. Prices and stars sit on the [electric fireplace comparison](/hub/fireplaces-and-stoves/electric-fireplace). We compared those listings with public UK sources and did not run a laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are choosing a first electric fire for a UK living room, and the listing is shouting about flame colours before you have measured the wall.
You are choosing a first electric fire for a UK living room, and the listing is shouting about flame colours before you have measured the wall. The decision that fits the room is the opening you already have, then the watts, then whether the flame can run with the heater off. This electric fireplace buying guide uses twelve amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026, priced from £59.99 to £250. Prices and stars sit on the electric fireplace comparison. We compared those listings with public UK sources and did not run a laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Install | Heat | Flame only | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  FLAMEKO FLAMEKO Wilton 50 inch | Wall, recess or floor | 900–1800 W | Yes | 9.4 | about £239.97 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Zanussi Zanussi inset stove | Insert | 2000 W | Yes | 8.8 | about £120 | View offer |
| Best value |  NETTA NETTA stove heater | Freestanding | 1600–2000 W | Not stated | 8.4 | about £59.99 | View offer |
On this page
Start with the opening, not the flame
If the wall is blank and you will not build a stud, a wall-mounted case or a stove on the floor is the honest start. A 127 cm Wilton or INMOZATA will not drop into a 16 inch opening. The Zanussi and the FLAMEKO Verona name that older size, and the Verona is also printed for an 18 inch opening. The Silonn is the corner heater, about 60 cm. The NETTA models and the Dimplex Cheriton stand on a hearth. The YITAHOME is a suite you assemble, not a recess fire. The three-way INMOZATA wants a recess of 124.6 × 32.3 × 15.2 cm and weighs 24.5 kg. The shallower INMOZATA is 11 cm deep. That is not the Wilton, at 14.3 cm deep and 21.5 kg. Bracket versus opening is the wall-mounted or inset electric fire page.
Treat 1.4–2 kW as a top-up
Which? describes an electric fire of about 2 kW as supplementary heat, because electricity costs more than gas and these appliances are not whole-house boilers. The Cheriton and the Zanussi state 2 kW. The Wilton and both wide INMOZATA models state 900 W and 1800 W. The Verona states 1000 W and 2000 W. The Silonn states 1400 W. The NETTA arch states 1950 W. That is a top-up for a room that already has heating. Ofgem’s Direct Debit average for 1 October to 31 December 2026 is 26.32 pence per kWh in England, Scotland, and Wales. A continuous 2 kW element is about 53 pence an hour while it is on, and about 24 pence at 900 W. Northern Ireland uses that household’s own tariff. The Wilton says up to 18 m² at 1800 W and an INMOZATA listing says 37 m². The YITAHOME prints 2000 square feet. The cheaper NETTA prints 52 square feet, and its title says 1600–1800 W while the specification says 2000 W. The seasonal floors in assimilated Regulation (EU) 2015/1188 are a primary-energy metric. At the point of use, almost all of the wattage becomes heat in the room.
Flame-only, thermostat, and your own timer
The Wilton, both INMOZATA models, the Verona, the Zanussi, the YITAHOME, and the Cheriton in reviews give you a flame with the element off. The two NETTA pages do not state that split, so do not buy either for a flame-only evening. The PURFINO listing bullets do not spell a clear flame-only sentence. The element is meant to cycle once the set point is reached. That is different from a thermal cut-out, which stops the fire when the case overheats, often because something covers the outlet. Reviews on the three-way INMOZATA say the thermostat does not hold the set room temperature. Treat the number on the handset as a setting, not a calibrated room sensor. Use the fire’s own timer where the listing has one. UK manuals warn against a plug-in timer, because it can defeat the thermal cut-out. The first switch-on is on how to use an electric fireplace.
Plug, weight, and the price bands in this set
UK mains are 230 V, and the plug you want is a BS 1363 13 A plug into a socket you can see. The Wilton states that plug. The Zanussi listing includes a 13 A supply note, and 13 A also appears on the Cheriton and the Verona. Several other listings, including the three-way INMOZATA, do not state it. A buried cable, a new circuit, a fused spur, or a kitchen or bathroom is where an electrician takes over. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue want about one metre from curtains and furniture, no extension lead, and nothing draped on the heater. A child’s guard should meet BS 8423:2010+A2:2022 and must not block the vents. Under £70 you get the two NETTA stoves, at £59.99 and £69.99. From £120 to £199.99 sit the Zanussi, the Silonn, the Verona, both PURFINO widths, the shallower INMOZATA, and the YITAHOME. From £229.90 to £250 sit the three-way INMOZATA, the Wilton, and the Cheriton. If a television will sit above the fire, that is on electric fire under a TV.
Common questions
Do I need a chimney for an electric fireplace?
No. These are plug-in fan heaters with an LED flame, not wood stoves and not gas fires. A chimney is irrelevant unless you are dropping an inset into an opening that used to have one. You still need a BS 1363 socket you can see, and an electrician if the cable will be buried or the room is a kitchen or bathroom.
Will a 2 kW electric fire heat the living room on its own?
Which? treats about 2 kW as supplementary warmth. A 2 kW element can take the chill off the room you are sitting in while it is drawing power. It is not a replacement for the heating in a house. At the Great Britain price cap, that full draw is about 53 pence an hour, and only while the element is actually on.
What should I measure before I order?
Measure the opening width and height if you have a fireplace, the depth of any recess, and the distance to a visible socket. A 16 inch opening points at the Zanussi or the FLAMEKO Verona. A blank wall of about 127 cm points at the Wilton or an INMOZATA. Write the centimetres down before you look at flame colours.
Can the flame run without the heater?
On the Wilton, both INMOZATA models, the Verona, the Zanussi, and the YITAHOME, the listing or the reviews describe a flame with the heat off. The Cheriton reviews describe the same. The two NETTA listings do not state it. The PURFINO pages do not give a clear sentence either. Check that manual if flame-only is why you are buying.
Why do two 1800 W listings claim different room sizes?
Because the coverage field is listing copy, not a shared test. The Wilton says up to 18 m² and an INMOZATA says 37 m² at the same 1800 W class. The YITAHOME’s 2000 square feet line is further from a usable room size. Use the wattage and your own room, and leave those claims off the shortlist.
When is a 13 A plug enough?
A factory 13 A plug into a living-room socket you can see is ordinary use, and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue advise against an extension lead. Call an electrician for a buried cable, a fused spur, a new circuit, or a kitchen or bathroom. The Wilton states a UK 13 A plug. If the listing is silent, confirm the plug before you hide a socket in a stud.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings in the comparison file, checked on 19 October 2026.
- Ofgem, Energy price cap unit rates (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Regulation (EU) 2015/1188 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Energy-related products (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, Heaters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- West Sussex Fire and Rescue, Heating appliance safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Fire safety for parents (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Which?, Buying an electric fire or stove (retrieved 19 October 2026)