No Products in the Cart
Quick answer: choose an electric fire for the simplest installation: no flue, no gas supply, and it fixes to almost any flat wall. Choose a gas fire if you already have mains gas and a suitable flue, and want more heat at a lower price per unit of energy. Gas fires must be fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Electric fire or gas fire is the first real fork in the road when you choose a new fireplace, and it shapes everything after it: where the fire can go, who fits it, what it costs to run and what the flames look like on a winter evening.
The right answer depends on what your house already has (a gas supply, a chimney, a flue) and what you want the fire to do. This guide compares the two using real fires from our range and current government energy prices.
An electric fire creates its flame picture with LED lighting and heats the room with a built-in electric heater, so it needs only an electrical supply. A gas fire burns real gas over a log bed, so it needs a gas supply, a flue to take the combustion gases outside and a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit it.
That difference drives most of the others: electric fires can go almost anywhere, while gas fires are limited to rooms with a flue but deliver more heat.
| Electric fire | Gas fire | |
|---|---|---|
| Flame | LED flame effect over a log, pebble or glass bead fuel bed | Real gas flame over a log bed |
| Supply needed | Electricity | Mains gas supply to the fireplace |
| Flue or chimney | Not needed | Needed (brick chimney, prefabricated flue or pre-cast flue, depending on the model) |
| Who fits it | Your installer, with no gas work involved | Must be a Gas Safe registered engineer |
| Heat output across our suites | Typically up to 2kW | 4.4kW to 5.1kW |
| Controls | Many have remote or app control with a 7-day timer | Slide controls on the fire on several models; no remote listed on others |
The heat outputs above come from the specifications of the gas and electric suites in our store, such as the Calleos 800CF in the Adele 54" (2.9kW to 4.4kW), the Mariella 48" (5.1kW) and the Cassius 52" Electric (up to 2kW).
Electric fires need a suitable wall and an electrical supply. Gas fires need a gas supply, the right flue for the model and a registered engineer. With neither gas nor a flue, electric is the practical choice.
Most electric fireplace suites in our range fix straight onto a flat wall. The Cassius 52" Electric is described by the manufacturer as a "flat wall fix installation directly onto any flat wall", and the Amorina 50" needs "no chimney or recess". Inset and built-in electric fires go into a chimney breast, a recess or a media wall instead.
What you need to check:
A gas fire needs three things in place before it can be fitted:
The flue is the part to check first. Here is how it works across the gas suites we stock:
| Flue you have | What it is | Gas suites in our range made for it |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | A standard brick chimney | Hartley 50", Adele 54", Mariella 48" |
| Class 2 | A standard prefabricated flue | Hartley 50", Adele 54", Mariella 48" |
| Pre-cast flue | Flue blocks built into the wall, usually with no chimney breast | Cassius 52" Gas, Wayland 52", Embleton 52", Vitalia 48" |
The pre-cast models are worth knowing about if you have a flat wall with a pre-cast flue behind it. The manufacturer describes the Cassius, Wayland and Embleton as a "flat wall fix installation directly into a pre-cast flue opening with no need for a chimney breast or lintel work".
If you are not sure which flue you have, a Gas Safe engineer will confirm it, along with any ventilation the chosen model needs under the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Per unit of energy, gas is much cheaper. Under Ofgem's energy price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, the average Direct Debit unit rate is 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, so electricity costs a little over three times as much per kWh. A gas fire also gives out more heat, so the real comparison depends on how you use it.
| Ofgem price cap, 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026 (Direct Debit, average) | Electricity | Gas |
|---|---|---|
| Unit rate | 26.32p per kWh | 7.97p per kWh |
| Daily standing charge | 54.83p | 29.68p |
Source: Ofgem, Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. Ofgem notes that the gas figure includes 5% VAT and that there is no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. The cap changes every quarter and rates vary by region and tariff, so check your own bill.
A rough worked example with the two versions of the Cassius 52":
On full, the gas fire costs about the same per hour but puts more than twice as much heat into the room. Two things tip the picture towards electric:
Treat these figures as a guide: your tariff and how you use the fire make the real difference.
A gas fire gives you a real flame, with the movement of a real fire. Modern electric fires give you a highly controllable flame picture, with colours and brightness you can change to suit the room and the season.
On the gas side, the Calleos fires in the Hartley 50" and Adele 54" use dual burners under the log bed, which the manufacturer says lets the fire run on low "whilst still retaining an impressive flame picture". Non-reflective glass is an option, to make the glass front less noticeable.
On the electric side, the range is wide:
Flames are personal, so see both side by side before you choose.
The clearest way to compare gas and electric is to hold everything else still. The Cassius 52" comes in both versions with the same 1320mm micro marble surround, so the only difference is what sits inside it.
| Cassius 52" | Gas version | Electric version |
|---|---|---|
| Surround | 1320mm micro marble, White or White with Grey slip | 1320mm micro marble, White or White with Grey slip |
| Fire | Landscape glass-fronted gas fire with a glowing log bed | Elsie 950 HD widescreen glass-fronted electric fire with a glowing log bed |
| Heat output | 4.6kW | Up to 2kW |
| Installation | Flat wall fix into a pre-cast flue opening | Flat wall fix onto any flat wall |
| Fitting | Gas Safe registered engineer | No gas work |
| Controls | No remote listed | 7-day thermostat remote control |
| Flame options | Real gas flame | 15 flame settings, moving downlights on the logs |
With a pre-cast flue and a need for real heat, the gas Cassius makes sense. With no flue, or a wish for a remote and timer, the electric Cassius puts the same fireplace on your wall. View the gas version or the electric version.
Electric suits most homes because it needs the least. Gas suits homes with a gas supply and a working flue, where the fire will be a real heat source.
An electric fire is usually the better fit if:
A gas fire is usually the better fit if:
Browse the gas suites, electric suites, electric inset fires and electric built-in fires to compare styles. For more on gas fireplaces, read our guide to gas fireplace suites.
A gas fire must be fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and the Health and Safety Executive "strongly advises that all gas appliances, flues and pipework should be installed, regularly maintained and serviced at least annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer".
The other precautions to plan for:
An electric fire needs none of this gas work; follow the manufacturer's care instructions.
Source: HSE, Gas safety: frequently asked questions for owner-occupiers.
Seeing both types side by side is the quickest way to decide. Our showroom displays gas, electric and multifuel fires, and our team will talk you through what your home can take.
To make the visit count, bring:
With those, we can tell you which fires suit your space and what needs checking before you order. Designer Fires is a family run business with over 25 years of experience in fireplaces.
Per unit of energy, no. Under Ofgem's price cap for October to December 2026, electricity averages 26.32p per kWh and gas 7.97p per kWh. On full heat, a gas fire puts out more warmth for a similar hourly cost. An electric fire can cost less when you run the flame effect alone with the heater off, on models that allow it.
You need a flue, though not always a chimney. Our gas suites are made for a class 1 brick chimney, a class 2 prefabricated flue or a pre-cast flue, depending on the model. Pre-cast flue models such as the Cassius 52" Gas fit flat to the wall with no chimney breast. A Gas Safe engineer will confirm which flue you have.
Only a Gas Safe registered engineer who is competent in that type of gas work. HSE states that anyone working on gas appliances in a home must be Gas Safe registered. Check the engineer's Gas Safe ID card, which lists the work they are qualified for, or look them up on the Gas Safe Register.
Yes. An electric fire needs no gas or flue, so it can go in place of an old gas fire, either fixed to the wall as a complete suite or as an inset fire in the existing opening. The old gas supply must be safely disconnected and capped by a Gas Safe registered engineer before the new fire goes in.
Send us a photo of your wall or fireplace, its measurements and whether you have gas, and we will tell you which fires fit. Or visit the showroom to see gas and electric side by side. Get in touch.
Published 26 October 2026. Last updated 26 October 2026. Written by the Designer Fires team.
