Electric fireplaces and inserts are mostly for show, and they can do a pretty good job of that, if you can buy into the concept and suspend your is belief. They’re inexpensive (no plumbing, no vents, no hassles — just plug and play), and you can get a complete unit that you simply set against a wall, plug in, and voilà. Who’s to begrudge a little romance to those in apartments and condos?

Most electric fireplaces come with heaters and a fan so that you can also get them to heat a room for about the same price as an electric space heater. But keep in mind that you’re using a lot of electricity to do little more than put on a show, and if your utility is providing you with coal-fired electricity, you’re also creating pollution.

Although many people truly like their units, you may get tired of yours long before its lifetime has expired. So before you talk yourself into an electric fireplace as a substitute for the real thing, visit somebody who already has one and check out the way it looks and works.
Electric fireplaces offer the following plusses:
They have zero emissions (at least locally; the power company is still
spewing forth to provide your electricity).

They can be installed anywhere

New technologies make the fire look somewhat real.

They’re movable. You can move one from room to room, and take it with
you if you move to a new home. You can even sell it in a garage sale.

On the negative side, you have the following:

Fake-looking fires.
No electricity, no bananas; when utility power is out, you’re shivering.
Fuel costs are very high — $45 per M/Btu.