Continuous-Pilot Fireplaces Waste Energy

The pilot lights on gas-fired fireplaces waste a lot of energy. That’s one conclusion of a recent study by Skip Hayden of the Combustion Gas Research Laboratory of CANMET and Consumers Gas, a major Canadian gas utility. Fifty-two homes with significant use of gas fireplaces were surveyed; 38 of these had continuous pilots. In the homes with continuous-pilot fireplaces, the pilot lights accounted for 48% of the total fireplace gas use!