Will an electric fireplace heat my room?

There are many variables that affect how much space an electric fireplace will heat.  Generally speaking, an electric fireplace can comfortably heat most rooms up to 250 – 300 square feet.  However, lots of variables can affect the amount of heat needed to stay comfortable:  the age of the house, type of construction, the condition and size of windows and doors, sidewall and ceiling insulation levels, orientation to the south and prevailing winter winds.  Obviously, a house in southern Illinois is going to have different heating demands than a house in northern Minnesota.  The heating element in most electric fireplaces is up to 1800 watts.  This translates to 5000 BTU of heat.