As the US moves toward a zero carbon future, electric fireplaces may be the only choice for some of us.  The question then becomes, are they any good?  Is the flame presentation realistic?  Are they any good for heating?  Excellent questions all, so let's go through them one by one. 

First, are they any good?  This questions to me is about quality and longevity of the appliance.  Chances are, if you buy one from a big box store, you will be disappointed.  Many electric fireplaces are manufactured overseas, and replacement parts are difficult to find.  This means that when, not if, something fails, you'll end up replacing the entire fireplace.  I'd expect to get a couple years out of one of them, tops.  There are reputable brands such as Dimplex, Modern Flames, Simplifire, Netzero, Regency/Skope, and others who will take responsibility for warranty service, repair or replacement.  Choose one of these, and you can expect your fireplace to work as it should for at least 5-7 years before you need to replace parts, and likely 10-15 years total. 

The next question is a tougher one, as everyone will view their fireplace with a different eye.  That said, there are electric fireplaces out there that will satisfy even the most discriminating among us.  The standard method for creating a flame effect has for a long time been the flicker motor.  It's basically a rod with tin foil tied to it.  As it spins the foil reflects the LED lights onto an opaque or mirrored surface, which creates the rather poor illusion of flame.  I would say the best of these is the Dimplex Ignite XL series, which seems to take the technology about as far as it can go.  The good news is that there is new technology emerging all the time to take us to new levels.  One of my favorites is the water vapor fireplace.  Dimplex's Opti-Myst, or the NetZero Waterplace are great examples.  This creates water vapor with an ultrasonic transducer, then lights it with LED.  The result is somehow more tangible than the flicker motor, and gives us the random swirling nature of a true flame.  You can plumb these to a water line so you don't have to refill the tanks, and the effect is really quite mesmerizing.  Another new contender is the "holographic" fireplace.  The original was the Dimplex Opti-V, which to this day is the only electric fireplace that even briefly fooled me.  To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it seems to be some kind of projector that's able to create a 3d image, which really does feel like VR.  It's expensive, but it's incredibly good looking.  Some other new entrants into this field are the Modern Flames Orion series, and Mendota is looking to release one in the Spring that's really quite exciting.  The moral of this story is that if you don't mind the price tag, it is possible to get a highly realistic electric fireplace.

Finally, are they good for heating?  The answer to this one I'm afraid is no.  The standard electric fireplace heater is about 5,000 BTU.  That's really only enough for bedrooms, dens, offices, RVs, and the like.  If you're planning to use it to heat your living room, get ready for a whopping bill.  Many can be hard-wired to 240V to double the heat output, but the cost equation doesn't change.  Depending on where you live, the cost per unit of heat can be 3-4 times higher for electric forced air heating than gas heating.  So if you're going to use it for more than an hour or two per day as a heater, I'd look elsewhere.  Now the real benefit of these is that you can run them without any heat at all, which makes them great for ambiance.  Particularly in bedrooms, where you don't want to get too hot, they can be great for the ambiance. 

So as usual, I'd recommend getting down to your local dealer to take a look at these for yourself, but would I feel comfortable installing an electric fireplace in my own home?  Absolutely, it just depends on the application.  If I want to put a TV above it, or if I want to use it just for aesthetics, then sign me up.  They're versatile, enjoyable, and the installation budget is lower than for gas or wood.  Think about your needs, and make your decision from there.  We all have our own ways to stay cozy.