From: "Andy" 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house  misc.consumers.frugal-living
Subject: Re: Gas furnace or fireplace - which more EFFICIENT?
Date: 30 Dec 2004 11:21:06 -0800
   posting-account=4mb0QAwAAACRnfDIIPX1zpS6ERIgWAZU

Rebecca Webb wrote:
>  Do gas fireplaces function
> significantly less efficiently than furnaces?  Perhaps I'd be better
off
> treating the fireplace as a luxury item (to be used infrequently) and
> warming up the whole house each evening with the furnace.

I have always heard that fireplaces are much more inefficient than
furnaces; with a fireplace a lot more of the heat goes up the chimmney.
I think the best thing for you to do is just experiment: Try shutting
off the gas fireplace for a billing month and see how your bill
changes.

I don't know what your electric rates are like there, but you may want
to try using an electric space heater for the living room and keeping
the thermostat at 60 for the main furnace.

Andy