Sales of wood burning stoves continue to increase month on month as the UK public look for ways to reduce their heating bills. As the pound unfortunately gets weaker the cost of imported fuel rises, with the uncertain time ahead the UK public are turning to alternative ways of heating.

Installing a wood stove could go a long way to solving some of the issues. Using a wood burner as back up heating really makes sense as the heat generated can help reduce central heating cost massively.

Once you have installed the burner it is very important to use it to maximize efficiency and there some very simple rules to follow. One the majority of owners ignore is air circulation. Read more

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

Installing a wood burning stove is a real alternative, these days they 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. Facts are a professionally installed wood stove can increase the value of your home.

Installing a wood stove

If you have an existing chimney installing a wood stove is relatively easy. The fitter will usually insert a liner inside the existing chimney from the burner to the exit point. For straight chimneys this can made up of sections of jointed metal pipe, which can be either single or double skinned. A double skin is more airtight and lasts longer than a single skin but of course costs more. Read more

People tend to underestimate just how much moisture firewood contains.

Nothing will cause your stove to function less efficiently than to fill it with green wood, so to avoid this problem you should begin the seasoning process in the early spring if you want your wood to be ready by the next winter.

If you plan to use any wood that is larger than normal, you will need to set it out to dry even earlier. Essentially, you should be harvesting your wood about 18 months in advance of when you actually plan to burn it, if you want to guarantee that it will be properly seasoned. Read more

A professionally fitted wood burning stove can save you hundreds on annual fuel bills but do make sure your new burner is suitable for your home.

Many people tend to install without seeking professional advice, this is fine, but if you want to get total efficiency do seek advice from a qualified (HETAS registered) fitter.

One thing is for sure, if you have a stove fitted and you are selling your property the buyer is likely to want to see a certified certificate for the installation of the stove.

Homes with a certified fitted boiler can be worth a lot more money when selling, also bear in mind some insurance companies will not accept the risk unless the stove has been professionally fitted. Read more

In total, over 265,000 wood-burners were installed last year, according to the Stove Industry Alliance. This is up from 200,000 in 2017.

Wood-burning stoves are generally installed for a reason, such as a secondary heating supply or to save money. There is a percentage who have them installed because they are fashionable and these days this combination is normal.

Fuel costs as we all know are increasing rapidly with electricity and gas prices leading the way.

Why are they so popular?

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