A fireplace should make you look forward to coming home. It should bring character to your living room, create a welcoming glow and provide warmth when you need it. But choosing a fire today also means thinking carefully about running costs, energy use and its place within your home’s heating system.
Those considerations matter as household budgets remain under pressure. Ofgem has announced a 4% increase in its energy price cap from October 2026 for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit on a standard variable tariff in Great Britain. Choosing how and where to use heat deserves as much attention as choosing how a fireplace looks.
At Charlton & Jenrick, our electric fire collection brings those priorities together. From panoramic media-wall designs to compact inset fires and characterful electric stoves, our range combines realistic flame effects, flexible installation options and controllable warmth.
Our latest electric fire brochure is a great place to start exploring the possibilities.
The real luxury? Enjoying your fire on your terms!
One of the most useful features of a modern electric fire is also one of the easiest to overlook: you can enjoy the flame effect without switching on the heater.
That separates the atmosphere of a fireplace from the need for additional warmth. On a chilly evening, your fire can provide supplementary heat. When the room is already comfortable, the visual display can remain the centrepiece without the heater running. Our large-format electric collection combines this flexibility with thermostatic controls and programmable timers.
It changes how you can use a fireplace throughout the year. Rather than reserving it for cold weather, you can make its glow part of a quiet evening, a family film night or a gathering with friends.
Five electric fires worth knowing…
Luminosa 185: a statement fireplace with a vivid flame picture
For a room that deserves a striking focal point, the Luminosa 185 combines generous proportions with our Real Flame Technology™. Its Dark Screen Programme uses darker rear glass to enhance flame contrast and draw attention to the logs. With 16 flame options, adjustable brightness, and a choice of log and fuel-bed lighting effects, you can tailor the display to your taste.
Its appeal isn’t just its size. It can create different moods within the same installation: a natural-looking evening glow, a brighter display for entertaining, or lighting that complements your interior. The app and remote control, a seven-day programmable timer, and thermostatic heating make the practical side equally adaptable.
Consider it for: a luxury media wall or feature fireplace where the flame picture should command attention.
iRange i1500e Slimline: generous proportions, less intrusive installation
A wide fireplace does not always need a deep enclosure. The iRange i1500e Slimline offers a 1.5-metre-long fire in a slim format designed to allow less intrusive installations. Its proportions suit larger rooms and open-plan settings, while the LiveFlame effect offers three colour choices and five mood settings.
The standard Woodland Log Set can be complemented by optional lighting around the installation, helping the fire feel like part of the room rather than an appliance added afterwards. App control, a programmable timer and an electric thermostat put everyday adjustments within easy reach.
Consider it for: a contemporary media wall where you want a broad flame display without an unnecessarily bulky structure.
iRange i1800e Deep: a fireplace with depth and presence
The iRange i1800e Deep is worth exploring when you want the fuel bed and flame picture to feel more substantial. It can be installed with one, two, or three sides of glass showing, giving you scope to design a feature you can appreciate from different positions in the room.
Its flame choices include white, orange and a combination of both, while the illuminated fuel bed offers 13 colours and a colour-cycling setting. The standard Woodland Log Set and optional alternative log sets provide further opportunities to personalise the finish.
Think beyond placing a fire beneath a television. A two-sided installation, for example, could help connect a seating area with an adjoining part of an open-plan room.
Consider it for: an architectural feature wall, a spacious living area or a design where side views matter.
Opulus 16”: a fresh flame picture for a familiar fireplace
Not every home needs a media wall. Sometimes, the most satisfying change is upgrading the fireplace you already love.
The Opulus 16” brings our Real Flame Technology™ into a traditional-sized fire, adding visual depth within a compact format. Pulsating log lights, adjustable flame effects and compatibility with 14 fascia and fret options give you considerable freedom to complement an existing interior.
It also includes app control, a seven-day timer, an electric thermostat and open-window detection. The controls automatically select its two heat settings, 0.75kW and 1.5kW, to help maintain your chosen room temperature. Suitability for an existing opening should be confirmed before installation.
Consider it for: refreshing a traditional fireplace without making a large-format fire the centre of your renovation.
Luminosa Electric Stove: stove character with electric convenience
For those drawn to the character of a stove, the Luminosa Electric Stove offers a different way to enjoy the look. It brings our Real Flame Technology™ and Dark Screen Programme into a stove design that combines traditional and contemporary influences.
The My Flame function offers preset flame and log-light combinations, with options to save personal preferences.
App and remote control, thermostatic heating and a seven-day timer bring modern convenience to the experience. The maximum heat output is 2kW.
Consider it for: a cosy snug, a cottage-style interior or a modern room that would benefit from the distinctive presence of a stove.
Can the right electric fire help manage heating costs?
It can help you use supplementary heat more selectively, but it is not an automatic route to lower bills.
An electric fire can be useful when you need extra warmth in one occupied room for a limited time, known as zonal heating. Whether that saves money depends on what heating it replaces, your tariff, your home’s insulation and how long it runs. Adding electric heating while leaving the rest of your heating unchanged will increase your energy use. Direct electric heating generally costs more per unit of useful heat than gas heating or a well-performing heat pump. The practical opportunity lies in control. Features such as a seven-day timer and open-window detection help you stay efficient when the heating is on.
What does that mean in pounds and pence?
Using Ofgem’s published average electricity rate of 26.32p per kWh for October–December 2026, a heater drawing 1.5kW continuously would cost approximately 39p an hour; a heater drawing 2kW continuously would cost approximately 53p an hour. These are illustrative heater-only calculations, excluding additional display or electronic consumption and the daily standing charge. Your actual tariff and the time the thermostat keeps the heater running will affect the result.
Flame-only running costs are different because the heater is switched off. Check the chosen model’s display consumption rather than assuming that one running-cost figure applies to every fire and every setting.
A considered choice is therefore about more than buying a lower-wattage appliance. It is about matching the fire to the room, understanding its controls and using it as part of an appropriate heating plan.
A more considered approach to environmental impact
Electric fires offer a clear benefit at home: they don’t burn fuel. The flames, glowing embers and smoke-like effects are visual effects, not burning fuel. That means no smoke, soot, or ash from combustion.
However, no combustion emissions in the home is not the same as zero-carbon heating. Electricity generation still has an environmental impact. Electricity is becoming a lower-carbon source of heating as more renewable generation supplies the network. The electricity you use, and how much you use, is still important.
This is why controllability is important. Avoiding unnecessary heating, using the display without heat when appropriate and improving insulation can support a more energy-conscious home. An electric fire is most useful in that context: a controllable source of supplementary comfort and atmosphere, rather than an unrealistic promise of cheaper or impact-free heating.
Why choose Charlton & Jenrick?
For us, a great electric fire should offer more than an impressive first impression. It should suit your room, give you control over its appearance and warmth, and remain enjoyable to use day after day.
Our collection offers that choice through different formats, flame technologies and installation possibilities. Whether your priority is Luminosa’s vivid flame picture, the slim proportions of iRange Slimline, the depth of iRange Deep or the familiar dimensions of Opulus, there is more than one way to create your ideal fireplace.
Established in 1986, we sell our fires and stoves through a network of more than 400 UK showrooms. Visiting a showroom gives you the opportunity to see the fires in person and discuss installation requirements before making your decision.
Selected models, including Luminosa and iRange fires, offer an extended five-year parts warranty, with parts and labour covered for the first two years, subject to the relevant registration requirements and terms. Check the cover for your chosen model with your retailer.
Find the fire that fits your home
The right electric fire is not necessarily the biggest or the most powerful. It is the one that brings together the appearance you love, the installation your room allows and the level of control your everyday life needs.
Explore our latest electric fire brochure, then visit your local Charlton & Jenrick showroom to see the collection in action. Bring your room dimensions, photographs and ideas, and start planning a fireplace you will enjoy looking at as much as using.
