In these hard and strange times the need to save money on our heating bills becomes ever more important.

Time for change in 2021?

There is little doubt the winter period increases our outgoings considerably.  Perhaps this is the time to look at what you spend heating your property in the cold months, it is likely you will be shocked.

We all know heating costs are forever rising, do take a little time out to investigate if a wood burner could save you money. Initial costs can be prohibitive but in the long run you will save an awful lot of money as wood is fairly constant in price. Read more

It is being muted that fuel bills are set to rise significantly in the near future. The Brexit talks are complete, and the pound remains at a low ebb, this means imported fuels cost more and you can guess who has to foot the bill!!

The price rises are expected to be in the region of between 6% and 10%, at least for electricity, which means your energy bills could take a definite hit. The impact on a typical household bill could be an extra £100 plus a year.

Research shows that an average family are spending over £150 per month just heating a 3-bedroomed house, just imagine this increasing by 10% and how that will affect your family budget. Read more

Once the fire has got going and the door has been closed, the air vents on the wood stove should be used to control the airflow to the fire.

If the air vents on the stove are closed or not open enough, the fire can be starved of oxygen and can be a reason why the fire keeps going out.

The air vents should never be closed unless you intend to put the fire out.

Wide-open vents will provide maximum airflow to the fire and cause the wood to burn faster. The primary/bottom vents can usually be closed after the fire has got going well enough without putting the fire out. Read more

Wood-burners have become a sought-after design statement during the past decade.

They can provide a sense of charm and ambience to a property. Modern wood-burning stoves give your home that warm heart as you sit around with friends and family on winter evenings.

A professionally installed burner can increase the value of your home, estate agents will tell you that a home with a professionally fitted log burner is very sought after.

Good for the environment Read more

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

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.

You’ll 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 Read more