Blog by Kent Stoves | Faversham Kent

Save Money On Your Heating Bill

16th January 2023/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

Save money on your heating bill. Firstly, installing a wood burner in your home could save you in the long term a great deal of money. The savings will depend on how efficient your new stove is and the fuel you use.

Crucial – Burning wood with 20% or less moisture will minimise pollutants and increase efficiency. Kiln-dried wood has less than 20% moisture but is more expensive than seasoned logs. Most stove owners burn seasoned logs, and 23% of the owners told us they collect free wood from local resources.

Just imagine the savings you could make if you could source your own wood to burn free.

A higher-efficiency stove should save you more and potentially cut pollution. Also new efficient stoves reduce potentially harmful particle emissions by more than 80%. This is compared with stoves from 10 years ago, according to the Stove Industry Alliance.

As such stove can cost varying amounts to buy and install.

A recent survey of stove owners taken to establish whether it’s really worth the initial outlay discovered that 68% said their stove does save them money.

The cost of a stove can vary wildly, ranging from £500 to more than £2,000. This is excluding installation costs.

Stove installation costs

A stove installation will again vary depending on the siting of the new stove. As such do get professional advice (HETAS registered) as this could save you money both in the short and long term. As an example, if you already have a chimney, that will make it cheaper, as one won’t need to be built. However, it might need to be relined to make sure it won’t let any gases escape into your home.

You can also have a freestanding stove, which doesn’t need a chimney. But you will still need to have the flue (effectively acting as the chimney) fed outside somewhere. This will involve some construction work on your home.

Can we help?

Finally, if you are thinking of installing a wood burning stove please contact us and one of our fully qualified (HETAS Registered) advisers will be happy to assist.

Seasoned Logs Are A Must

9th January 2023/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

Seasoning your wood is a must for efficiency

Hardwoods are denser woods that burn hotter and longer than softwoods, but you will 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.)

You will find Wood stoves – Hardwood is a must for efficiency and the environment.

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 and cost effectiveness

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. 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.

Very important safety precautions stove users should note

31st October 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

Very important safety precautions. Firstly, most important is to select the correct stove for the area you are looking to heat. We have fully qualified HETAS advisers waiting to assist you at Kent Stoves. One very common error once you have had your stove installed is not to understand it’s benefits and how to use it safely. Below are a few tips to make your new stove safe and heat efficient now and in the future.

Store your wood correctly for efficiency

By using the correct wood, and storing it in a dry place, you can maximise the heat efficiency. Additionally this will reduce the harmful fumes that may be released. Wood should be dried for at least 18 months but preferably 24 months. For more information about choosing the correct fuel for your stove speak to our consultant. Read more

Looking forward to winter?

31st October 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

Looking forward to winter? You know the feeling – it’s cold and rainy outside, the wind is howling, and the sun went down hours ago.

But when you’re curled up on the sofa in front of a warm and toasty wood stove, you won’t give the weather a second thought.

And don’t think a wood-burning stove is only the preserve of a grand country pile – there are plenty of colours, shapes and sizes to choose from, so even if your decor is ultra-modern or you’ve only got a compact space to slot one in, rest assured there’s a wood burner for you.

Vital!

Plus, they will help cut your energy bills, giving off enough heat to warm an entire room. So if you’ve been thinking about investing in a wood-burning get some professional advice. Read more

Heating bills set to increase yet again

31st October 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

Heating bills set to increase yet again. It is being muted that fuel bills are set to rise significantly in the near future.

The price rises are expected to be in the region of between 15% and 30%, at least for electricity. As such this means your energy bills could take a definite hit. The impact on a typical household bill could be an extra £400-£800 plus a year.

Research shows that an average family are spending over £170 per month just heating a 3-bedroomed house. Jjust imagine this increasing by 30% and how that will affect your family budget.

A wood burning stove could be the answer to reducing these potential rises. Stove sales are at the highest we have ever seen for this time of year as homeowners prepare for the future. Read more

Just how green are wood burners, are they good for the environment?

31st October 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

Just how green are wood burners, are they good for the environment? We are living in a vastly different world than we were only 15 or 20 years ago. The general public has become a lot more aware of environmental concerns and carbon footprints, and we have seen an increase in trends associated with a sustainable and ecological way of life.

Wood burning stoves have captured the interest of many homeowners. The combination of cheap heating and a cosy focal point within the property is an appealing idea. As a result, there are currently an estimated 1.5 million households in the UK with a wood burning stove. Additionally around 200,000 more stoves being sold every year.

Many people believe a wood burning stove to be a significant step towards lowering their environmental impact. Relying on a sustainable resource to heat their properties rather than purchasing energy from the central grid – much of which is generated by the burning of carbon-heavy fossil fuels. But how accurate is this idea? Finally are wood burners actually good for the environment? Read more

Very important safety precautions

24th July 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

Here at Kent Stoves we have a wide range of environmentally friendly stoves available with a selection of distinctive styles to suit any taste and home.

Most importantly is to select the correct stove for the area you are looking to heat, we have fully qualified HETAS advisers waiting to assist you. One very common error once you have had your stove installed is not to understand it’s benefits and how to use it safely. Below are a few tips to make your new stove safe and heat efficient now and in the future.

Store your wood correctly for efficiency

By using the correct wood, and storing it in a dry place, you can maximise the heat efficiency and reduce the harmful fumes that may be released. Wood should be dried for at least 18 months but preferably 24 months. For more information about choosing the correct fuel for your stove speak to our consultant. Read more

Quality heating and far more comfortable

24th July 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

The biggest advantage homeowners have with a wood burning stove is the quality of heat the burner will give off. Wood stoves operate on the principal of radiant heat, which warms an area faster and more efficiently than warm air being blown through a home’s vent system. The powerful heat from a wood stove radiates from all sides of the unit as well as the top, sending warmth in all directions. Fitted in a central position in your home you will be amazed how the rest of your house suddenly gets a whole lot warmer.

Pointers to look out for when selecting your new heat machine

A stove that is too small for the room will not be powerful enough to heat the room adequately, on the other hand, if you have a stove that is too large it will need constant attention to keep the temperature down. A result of this is the combustion within the stove will not be complete and you will quickly have a build-up of soot not just on the glass, but up the chimney as well. Read more

It is very important to select the correct wood stove for your home

24th July 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

To be sure a stove meets your homes requirements, choose a HETAS approved one, which comes from an experienced manufacturer. Apart from the safety element, wood stoves have improved so much of late it is vital to select the correct one for your home.

If you choose professional help the fitter will consider your lifestyle and the type of property you reside in. An open-plan, well insulated home for example can use a stove to cut down fuel bills, the fitter will explain all the advantages and savings that can be made.

HETAS registered fitter is very advisable

Poorly installed stoves do pose very real risks from carbon monoxide poisoning to house fires and smoke inhalation, all of which can have devastating and fatal consequences. Read more

Wood stoves gaining ground on an annual basis

24th July 2022/in Uncategorised /by Kent Stoves

The market for wood burning stoves is increasing annually and over the last ten years we have seen huge strides towards solving environmental issues. Usually at this time of year interest increases due to colder weather but last year saw no let-up in activity throughout the year.

Due to rising fuel bills homeowners are seeking alternative cost-effective heating options.

Wood burning stoves are a real alternative, these days they really do offer an impressive range of options to meet your home’s needs. Long gone are the days when wood burners were seen as an ugly and dirty heating source.

Advantages of a wood burning stove. Read more