What does it cost to run a gas fireplace in Alberta?

In Calgary, use your bill’s gas price and usage charges to work out your fireplace and pilot cost.

These costs include usage-based delivery, town fees and GST. They are the cost of extra gas use, and daily charges still apply. The pilot input is a US federal estimate for standing pilots; your model can differ.

What does an hour cost in my town?

Choose the input rating nearest yours. These ratings are table inputs, not typical fireplace sizes. The longer-use columns mean four hours of burner running each day for a month. For all-day use, multiply the one-hour cost by your burner’s running hours. The usage charges are on your bill: read the gas bill guide.

The pilot columns use this US federal estimate from the proposed hearth products rule: Standing pilots typically use between 700 and 1,200 BTU per hour (read 30 October 2026) [source].

The conversion uses MMBtu per GJ: 0.9478 (read 22 October 2026) [source]. Each MMBtu means a million BTU.

How do I find my fireplace's rating?

Find the input rating on the rating plate or in the maker’s manual. Look for BTU per hour, sometimes written BTU/h. Use input, the gas energy going in, for this table. Output is heat delivered. A lower flame setting can use less than the maximum input.

Look for Fireplace Efficiency, or FE, on the EnerGuide label in the product literature. Here is the range NRCan gives: NRCan’s EnerGuide page, modified January 10, 2025, describes fireplace efficiencies ranging from 30 to 70 percent (read 30 October 2026) [source]. It describes models on that page, not today’s minimum standard.

NRCan’s Heating with Gas (2012) explains: Fireplace efficiency is similar to an AFUE rating (read 30 October 2026) [source]. AFUE is the rating a furnace label uses. Input alone does not tell you how much heat reaches the room.

Does my fireplace have a pilot that burns all the time?

Older units may have a standing pilot. NRCan explains: A continuous pilot burns even while the fireplace is unused, adding energy use over time (read 30 October 2026) [source]. Check the ignition type in your model’s instructions.

The federal standard distinguishes heating from decorative fireplaces: For fireplaces manufactured on or after January 1, 2020, heating models require at least 50 percent fireplace efficiency; decorative models have no minimum efficiency (read 30 October 2026) [source].

The pilot requirements offer alternative control capabilities: For fireplaces manufactured on or after January 1, 2020, the listed control options include automatically extinguishing the pilot when the main burner lights or goes out; limiting a manually selected continuous pilot to seven days; or limiting ignition to seven days without burner flame adjustment (read 30 October 2026) [source]. A newer fireplace’s continuous-pilot setting need not behave like an older standing pilot. Use the manual to understand its timer and controls.

Should I turn the pilot off when I am not using it?

NRCan says: Turning off the pilot during periods of infrequent or no use can save energy (read 30 October 2026) [source]. If summer is a period of little or no use for you, apply that guidance. Follow the maker’s instructions for shutting down and relighting your fireplace.

Gas appliances are serviced by a licensed gas fitter.

Is a fireplace cheaper than the furnace?

A fireplace heats one room at its own efficiency. Compare useful heat and the space being heated before comparing costs.

Read the furnace running cost guide. Your running time and the rooms you heat also matter.

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