Are Stoves Economic? Keep warmer and reduce those horrible heating bills

With the colder weather beginning to hit the UK, how do you stay warm? I am sure you will be like the majority and turn up the thermostat on the central heating system. However, a growing number of people are opting for renewable heating sources instead such as wood burning stoves.

 After purchase and fitting of your new stove can you really make savings?

 A lot of experts estimate after installation and purchase costs households will start to see savings within 3 years. There has been a big increase in sales of wood burning stoves lately, both for adding character to a home and adding value to your property – some estate agents say a certificated wood stove could add as much 5%to the sale price. 

A stove is a highly efficient source of heat – delivering more than 80% efficiency in many cases. The current generation of stoves are clean and very easy to use and control.

Estimated savings of a wood stove

• 82% cheaper to run than an electric fire
• 46% cheaper per kw than a gas effect fire
• 80% cheaper than oil filled heater

It is very important to note you must always only burn fully dried wood logs and these should have matured for 18-24 months. Imagine if you could source your own logs from a local forest free – how much you could potentially save a year?

Can we help?

If you would like to know more, please do contact us. One of our fully qualified fitters will be happy to assist.

Burn Hardwood in Wood stoves – Hardwood is a must for heat efficiency

For the serious fire lover, you may want to invest in hardwoods like oak, ash, hickory, walnut, and fruit trees such as apple or cherry.

Seasoning your wood

Hardwoods are denser woods that burn hotter and longer than softwoods, but you’ll need to let them season for up to 2 years.  (Ash is an exception and can be burnt a bit earlier although the wood burns best when seasoned.)

There is absolutely no point in burning unseasoned wood as you will be boiling water, and this is just inefficient and bad for the environment. Plus, your hard-earned money will be wasted.

You will find that hardwood is more expensive to purchase than softwood like pine and fir. But the hardwood burns longer so you’ll need less wood and in turn save money.

Heat efficiency

Seasoned wood burns better than green wood, because it produces more heat and less creosote build-up in the fireplace and chimney. Green or unseasoned wood, on the other hand, is hard to light and difficult to keep burning. If your wood smoulders and burns poorly with little heat, it’s probably green wood.

You can tell if wood is seasoned by looking at it. On the outside, seasoned wood probably looks grey and dusty from sitting around for a while. But on the inside, it’s often dry and white, usually lighter than on the outside. Therefore burn hardwood. New wood, on the other hand, looks like it came fresh from the timber mill with the same colour throughout the wood.

Can we assist?

If you would like help selecting and installing a new wood burning stove, please do make contact. We have fully qualified (HETAS) fitters and advisers waiting to take your enquiry.