I love this country. We don’t make as many products as we used to, but we will always be the masters of the marketing universe. No other country can take something as mundane as a 1,500-watt space heater and repackage it as the Second Coming. A perfect example of this marketing ingenuity is the Amish Heat Surge electric fireplace.
Stem! shine! The Heat Surge miracle heater is a work of genius from the coast of China! True Amish craftsmanship goes into every mantle! And, to quote the Heat Surge website, “it’s not just a fireplace, it’s a nice piece of furniture.”
But you have to ask yourself: do I want to spend $587 on a mini electric fireplace on wheels that produces no more heat than any other 1500-watt space heater that costs $500 less?
To be fair, this is a valid question for all electric fireplaces, not just thermal surge. Believe it or not, you could easily spend more than $2,000 on a combination electric fireplace and entertainment center heated with the same 1,500-watt unit.
No matter how much you pay for an electric fireplace, the cost attributable to electric heating is approximately $250 (retail). So every dollar you spend over $250 is for the mantelpiece. In the case of the Amish Cherry fireplace, $250 subtracted from the retail price of $587 leaves $337 for the cost of the mantel.
Since the Amish heater is a mini electric fireplace, it is difficult to find a similar sized electric fireplace for the sake of comparison. The best thing I could come up with is the ProCom 24″ Cherry Finish Electric Fireplace.
Although this fireplace is the smallest that ProCom makes and uses a similar 24″ wide heating insert, its overall dimensions are still 2 1/2 times larger than the Heat Surge fireplace.
Last time I checked, the ProCom 24″ Cherry Finish Fireplace was available online for $400. After subtracting $250 for the heating insert, the ProCom mantel is $150.
So why would you be willing to pay more than double for an Amish mantel less than half the size of a comparable fireplace that costs 30% less?
It’s the magic of marketing Baby!
If you buy an Amish electric fireplace, it won’t be for the boring 1,500 watts of heat that all other space heaters offer. What will excite you enough to whip out your credit card is an inexplicable attraction to the Amish, the promise of superior Amish craftsmanship and pride of ownership.
I can’t explain an inexplicable attraction, but I’ll accept the claim of superior Amish craftsmanship. However, “craft” comes at a price. Over a three year period, the premium you pay for an Amish fireplace will add an extra $5 per month, or $180 to your actual heating costs compared to the purchase price of a 24″ Pro Com fireplace.
This brings me to the second problem I have with marketing this product.
If you visit the Heat Surge website, you won’t find a picture of the Amish fireplace with the wheels attached. The reason for this, in my opinion, is that the wheels make it look “small” compared to how “substantial” it is when displayed without the wheels.
So how much pride can you take in a product that the manufacturer is ashamed to show in its entirety?
It’s a shame. The wheels are actually a selling point because they provide the means for zoned heating – simply roll the fireplace from room to room as needed. Zoned heating, or heating only the room you occupy, allows you to adjust your home’s master thermostat for substantial fuel savings.
On the other hand, it is impossible to attempt to “zone heat” your home for multiple occupants spread over multiple rooms with a single Amish fireplace.
I have a few other issues with their marketing claims that I could dig into, like “Uses as much energy to run as a coffee maker” and regional energy costs, but they bear little relation to profitability when you pay $587 for a space heater from 1,500 watts.