Regency Energy E33

Quick Facts

• Heating Capacity: Approx. 950–1,900 sq ft
• Efficiency: 70% (steady state)
• Viewing Area: 441 sq in
• Fuel: Natural gas; propane conversion kit available.
• Controls: Wall switch, with an optional handheld remote; wall thermostat optional.
• Fan: Included

Who It's For

An old open fireplace leaks like a window even when it's cold, and in a tightly built or renovated house it can struggle for air when it burns. You need an insert that seals the opening and brings its own combustion air. If you want a large, high-efficiency insert that closes off a drafty fireplace and keeps running when the power fails, the Energy E33 is the one. Leave the fireplace open and it costs you heat all winter whether you light it or not.

What Makes It Special

The E33 is a sealed system that uses outside air, so it does not compete with you or your furnace for room air, which Regency points to as the reason it suits airtight homes. Once it is in, the old chimney stops acting like an open window.

It uses a small pilot flame that stays lit, which means the fire needs no electricity at all; in an outage you still have heat. The fan is included for pushing warmth across the room. Faceplates come in low-profile and Vignette styles with inlays in black, tuscan sunset, or black chrome.

Possible Downsides

• The pilot flame burns year-round, using a little gas even in summer; the Liberty Radiant and Atmosphere inserts light only on demand.
• The remote is optional, so the base unit is a wall switch.
• Two brick colors and no reflective panel; the fire bed is logs only.

If you want a large insert that seals a drafty fireplace and works no matter what the power is doing, the Energy E33 is the right decision. The ice storm takes the lights and the living room stays warm anyway.

The E33 offers low-profile and Vignette faceplates in regular and oversized sizes, inlays in black, tuscan sunset, or black chrome, a spacer kit, two hearth trim styles, brick panels in rustic brown or old town red, and an ember upgrade package.