Compare price lists from different manufacturers, and you'll find little significant difference between factory-made gas and wood appliances (from less than $1,000 to nearly $3,000), and installation costs are about the same no matter where you live. The main difference between gas and wood is ventilation and long-term performance.
Veteran Fireplace Retailer says，"The great thing about gas is that you can start a fire instantly and have full control over the heat output of the unit. With wood, it takes a certain amount of time to start the fire, convert the energy into heat, and then bring that heat into the room."
In contrast to a gas fireplace whose temperature is controlled by a thermostat, a wood-burning unit has only one air control device—the damper, and that lets you control the amount of air that goes in, which in turn controls the combustion process and heat output.
As a bonus, the high-end gas fireplace comes with a comfort control system. They monitor the temperature of the room and start reducing the temperature of the burners when the room gets closer to the desired temperature.
What about the environment? Wood is a renewable resource while natural gas is not, however, in a gas appliance, very few by-products of combustion enter the atmosphere. Environmentally, therefore, gas appliances are healthier for the environment than polluting wood-burning appliances.
