Open fireplaces have traditionally been used for wood burning fires but the majority of the heat produced can be lost up the chimney rather that being used to heat a room.

There are a number of solutions for improving the heat output of an existing open fireplace such as installing a wood burning stove within the firebox, but can you put an electric fireplace in a real fireplace?

An electric fireplace can be installed within an open fireplace as long as there’s a nearby electrical supply, such as an electrical outlet within the firebox of the existing fireplace. Electric fireplace inserts are the ideal type of electric fireplace to be installed within a real fireplace.

There are a few different types of electric fireplace that can be put inside an existing fireplace, such as electric fireplace inserts and electric fireplace logs.

We’ve explained in more detail below what you need in order to be able to put an electric fireplace in a real fireplace and what the main options are when it comes to choosing which type of electric fireplace to install.