Buying guide
Gas or electric fire?
We supply and fit both, so we have no reason to push either. Here is the honest comparison we give in the showroom, so you can narrow the right route before you visit.
The flame
A modern gas fire still gives the most convincing living flame, because it is one. If the fire is the heart of your evening and you want depth, movement and real radiant warmth, gas is the benchmark. But electric flame effects have improved beyond recognition: layered LED flame pictures over realistic log beds, convincing enough that most guests have to be told. On many models the flame runs without heat, which means the fire stays lit in summer.
What your home needs to provide
This is usually the deciding factor. A gas fire needs a gas supply and, in most cases, a suitable chimney or flue, so it favours homes that already have both. An electric fire needs a socket. Nothing else. No flue, no chimney, no gas safety checks, which is why electric dominates new builds, flats and media walls. If your chimney breast is purely decorative or you are building a media wall from scratch, electric is almost always the practical answer.
Heat and running route
Gas fires can produce strong heat and suit rooms where the installation route is already in place. Electric fires are usually better as a useful boost of warmth rather than the main heat source for a large space, and many can run the flame effect without heat. If you want a genuine heat source for a big living room, gas or a stove earns its keep; if you want atmosphere with a useful boost of warmth, electric is simpler to install and needs less maintenance.
Installation and upkeep
Gas fires must be installed and serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with servicing discussed as part of the product advice. Electric fires usually involve less disruption and need less ongoing maintenance. Either way, the surround, hearth and any media wall stonework can be made to measure in our own workshop, so the finished wall is designed as one piece.
Our honest rule of thumb
If your home already has a working flue and a gas supply, and the fire is your main source of evening warmth, choose gas. In every other situation, start with electric: it works almost anywhere, and today's flame effects have closed most of the gap. See both running side by side at the Solihull showroom, or browse our gas and electric fires.
See both alight before you choose
Seeing both in front of you settles the decision faster than any guide.