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A liter of bioethanol costs $11 and burns for around four hours, making it cost around $2.75 per hour to keep your bioethanol fireplace running. For comparison, natural gas costs around $0.50 per hour, and propane costs around $1.60 per hour. 

How much it costs you to run your bioethanol fireplace largely depends on how often you use it. Hypothetically speaking, if you run your fireplace for four hours a week year-round, you’ll go through one liter of biofuel per week or about $570 per year to run the fireplace.

Pellet stoves do require electricity to power their automated features, such as the pellet feeder, fans, and digital controls. However, their electricity consumption is relatively low compared to other household appliances. During a power outage, pellet stoves equipped with battery backup systems or manual ignition options can still operate, though fans and automatic feed mechanisms may not function. Have a backup heating plan in place for these situations, especially if you live in a region prone to severe weather events.

No, you should never leave a fireplace burning overnight or unattended during the day. While fireplaces are made to contain fires, fires can and do spread from fireplaces, so it’s crucial that you’re there to monitor them and put them out if needed. If you’re worried about putting out a fire before bed, stop feeding it fuel long before bedtime and actively put out the fire using your poker, a shovel, and some baking soda.

If you have a gas fireplace with an electric ignition and you’re experiencing a power outage, you will need to light your fireplace’s pilot manually before you can start a fire. The instructions should be in the manufacturer’s manual.