Electric fireplaces & other furniture questions

[cycosis]

So Im moving into a condo and as lame as they are cause they arn't gas, some of those electric fireplaces in the large tv stand/credenza units are half decent. Does anyone have one of these? Did it really increase your electricity bill?

Also, Im looking for a nice coffee table w/ side ables set. I've been to Leons, Ikea, and LazyBoy but its either too pricey or cheap looking. Anyone have any stores that they would recommend?

[masoncgy]

I have one of these electric fireplaces, though I purchased it more for it's looks in the living room and it's ability to hold my 50" plasma, versus using it as a heat source. I don't have a gas line running to my house, so getting a natural gas unit wasn't in the cards.

Mine functions on either 900w or 1500w of heat... both settings are rather efficient in terms of energy used to heat up the space. In fact, it is cheaper to use this over the baseboard heaters that adorn each room.

If you like the idea of using it for heat, get one that has it's own thermostat to turn itself on and off as necessary. That's the one thing mine does not have and therefore I very rarely use it since it will run continuously unless you turn it off.

Electric heat can be expensive if it's used all the time. Out here on the Island, it doesn't get cold enough to warrant needing the heat on constantly, so it's not so bad.

My electric bills for Nov & Dec were $150 a month... and that includes heat & hot water, since everything is electric in my house.