What 1,500 Watts Actually Does
Nearly every plug-in electric fireplace is capped by the outlet it uses: about 1,500 watts, or roughly 5,000 BTU. That will make a bedroom or an office comfortable. It will not heat an open-plan main floor in January.
Hard-wired and larger-format units exist and go further, but the plug-in category is where most shoppers start and where the expectation gap lives.
Where it Wins
No venting at all. That single fact opens up walls, basements, condos and interior rooms where a gas or wood unit would need a chimney or a side-wall termination that isn't possible.
It also runs on a mandatory action day, which along the Wasatch Front is a genuine functional advantage rather than a footnote.
The Utah Cost Question
Resistance heat converts electricity to warmth at essentially one to one, so the running cost tracks your utility rate directly. Utah's natural gas is inexpensive, which is why gas remains the default for whole-home heat here.
For a single room used a few hours an evening, the difference is small enough that convenience usually wins.
How to Buy One Honestly
Decide first whether you want heat or the look of a fire. Both are legitimate, and the answer changes which models are even worth showing you.
If it's the look, say so—the best-looking units in this category are not always the strongest heaters, and you shouldn't pay for output you'll never turn on.