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" See the options All about fireplace inserts  Energy costs may be sky high, but fireplace inserts and freestanding stoves can help keep those utility bills in check. Since these units are designed to heat just the room you&amp;#039;re in, you can turn down\u2014or even turn off\u2014your whole-house heating system. Choosing between inserts and stoves couldn&amp;#039;t be easier: If you have a fireplace, retrofit it with an insert. If not, purchase a freestanding device. First you&amp;#039;ve got to pick which fuel you&amp;#039;ll burn: coal, electricity, gas, oil, pellets, or wood. Next, consider the size of the area you must heat. For each square foot, you&amp;#039;ll need 25 to 30 Btu; for example, a 500-square-foot room requires a 15,000 Btu unit (also measured as .015 million Btu, or M/Btu). Finally, check the product&amp;#039;s heating efficiency rating (it should be above 70 percent). All fuels produce emissions; to learn how to minimize your exposure to harmful particulates, visit epa.gov. For information on the six fuel types, the pros and cons of each, and our picks for the new units that burn them, check out our chart on the next page.    OUR PICK:   Mino II by Rais. Also in gray. 17,100 Btu. $3,090. Shown with optional soapstone top, $485. rais.com MATERIAL: Wood - The most readily available fuel\u2014and the price is right. PROS/CONS: Pros - Seasoned firewood (wood that&amp;#039;s dried to reduce water content) is inexpensive and renewable. No electricity required to ignite or operate. Cons - Sparks present a fire hazard. Can&amp;#039;t connect to a thermostat, so difficult to automate. Must be vented (using expensive stainless piping) into a lined chimney. Can produce creosote, a cause of chimney fires. RUN TIME/MAINTENANCE: Up to eight hours per load.* Fire must be stoked hourly and ash shoveled daily. Catalytic units contain fragile combustion elements that should be brushed monthly and replaced every two to three years. Venting and chimney should be cleaned annually. Must be serviced by a hearth technician annually. PRICE/FUEL COST: Price $600; $500 to $900 for installation. Fuel Cost Inexpensive; $10 to $15 per M/Btu.   OUR PICK:   The Bayfield. In five colors; Summer Moss, shown. 24,500 Btu. $2,099. napoleonfireplaces.com. MATERIAL: Gas - The logical option if natural gas is already used to fuel your home&amp;#039;s central furnace. No day-to-day tending necessary. PROS/CONS: Pros - Just turn on the appliance for nearly instantaneous heat. Offered in vented and vent-free models; the latter are 99 percent efficient. Many units can also be used with liquid propane. Can be fitted with decorative ceramic logs. Flames mimic those of real wood\u2014with no ashes. Cons - Ignition may require electrical service. Gas is nonrenewable and susceptible to price fluctuations, so pinning down heating costs is difficult. RUN TIME/MAINTENANCE: Indefinite if you have gas service. Must be serviced by a hearth technician annually. PRICE/FUEL COST: Price $400; $200 for installation\u2014more if you need to initiate gas service. Fuel Cost  Moderate; $23 per M/Btu.   OUR PICK:   Pioneer LE Top Vent by Leisure Line. Digital thermostat. 90,000 Btu. $2,130. leisurelinestoves.com. MATERIAL: Coal - If you live in a state where coal is abundant, such as Pennsylvania, there&amp;#039;s no cheaper heat source. PROS/CONS: Pros -  Offered in self-stoking and manually stoked models; the latter ignite and operate without electricity. Long burn time. Cons -  Coal is nonrenewable and not available in all locales. Produces sulfur and fly ash, which can corrode certain metal pipes, so expensive stainless venting is needed. RUN TIME/MAINTENANCE: Up to 18 hours per load.* Must clean self-stoking models once a week with a stiff brush. Must shake grates of manually stoked units twice a day, and shovel ash once per load. Check vent pipes for corrosion every six months. Must be serviced by a hearth technician annually. PRICE/FUEL COST: Price $1,300; $500 and up for installation. Fuel Cost  Inexpensive; starts at $5 per M/Btu.   OUR PICK:   Arctic by Kuma Stoves. Also operates on biodiesel fuel. 23,800 to 49,000 Btu. $1,399. kumastoves.com. MATERIAL: Oil - The logical option if oil is already used to fuel your home&amp;#039;s central furnace. Appliances run quietly. PROS/CONS: Pros - Units operate without electricity (though manual ignition may be necessary). Some devices can also be used with eco-friendly biodiesel. Cons - Oil is nonrenewable and susceptible to price fluctuations, so pinning down heating costs is difficult. Stainless venting needed. RUN TIME/MAINTENANCE: From weeks to months, depending on the size of your model&amp;#039;s storage tank. The fuel delivery nozzle must be de-coked (cleaned) weekly, the burner cleaned every few months, and the fuel filter replaced yearly (about $20). Must be serviced by a hearth technician annually. PRICE/FUEL COST: Price$800; $200 for installation\u2014more if you need to initiate oil service. Fuel Cost  Expensive; starts at around $45 per M/Btu.   OUR PICK:   XXV by Harman. In seven colors; Mojave Red, shown. 50,000 Btu. $3,000. harmanstoves.com. MATERIAL: P ellet - These self-stoking units are eco-friendly, using energy-rich pellets made of sawdust and wood waste. PROS/CONS: Pros - Some models also burn pellets made from corn, coir fiber, and nutshells. Pellets are renewable and produce the lowest emissions of any solid fuel, with minimal visible smoke. Units require only a short run of stainless venting. Cons - Electricity needed to operate (though many units can accommodate backup batteries). Pellets are not readily available in all locales. RUN TIME/MAINTENANCE: Up to 36 hours per load.* Must empty ash pan once a week. Scrape burner pot with a putty knife, and brush and vacuum passageways, every two to three months. Must be serviced by a hearth technician annually. PRICE/FUEL COST: Price $1,300; $650 to $900 for installation. Fuel Cost  Inexpensive; $5 to $10 per M/Btu.   OUR PICK:   Celeste Purifire by Dimplex. Built-in air purifier. 5,000 Btu. $499. dimplex.com. MATERIAL: Electric - Clean, quiet, and nearly instantaneous heat\u2014at a price. PROS/CONS: Pros -Units produce zero emissions, so can be placed almost anywhere. Heat can be turned off but simulated flame left flickering for cozy ambience. Ceramic logs offer a wood-burning look. No venting needed. Cons - Won&amp;#039;t work during a power outage. Lowest Btu output compared with other options. RUN TIME/MAINTENANCE: Indefinite as long as electrical service is maintained. Little upkeep\u2014 no day-to-day or monthly maintenance needed. Must be serviced by a hearth technician annually. PRICE/FUEL COST: Price $500; low or no installation costs\u2014simply hardwire or plug into a standard electrical outlet. Fuel Cost  Expensive; starts at around $45 per M/Btu.     For all their romantic appeal, fireplaces are woefully inefficient, sending as much as 95 percent of the heat they produce right up the chimney. But you can turn your hearth into an economical heating system by fitting it with a fireplace insert (units are available for all fuel types). An insert is essentially a firebox that&amp;#039;s installed into the opening of your hearth. Styles range from sleek, flat-front models to more traditional versions with cut-out designs, such as Quadra-Fire&amp;#039;s new cast-iron Mt. Vernon Advanced Energy insert, above. This device, which operates on either pellets or corn, automatically feeds itself up to seven pounds of fuel per hour and alerts you\u2014via messages on the wall-mountable control\u2014when it&amp;#039;s time to refuel or empty the ash drawer. In Sienna Bronze, shown with optional surround; also in Willow (cream), matte black, and mahogany. 60,000 Btu. $4,000. 800-926-4356, quadrafire.com. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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