Burning Wood May Be the Cheaper Option for your Wood Burning Stove But Coal Still Has It’s Advantages

Wood burners have became increasingly popular over the past decade with more and more UK homes opting for these wood burning stoves over other forms of heating option such as house coal and smokeless fuels.

The main reason for this heating revolution is people are looking to cut their fuel bills down and wood burning stoves are much more cost effective. In terms of running costs, you can save up to £100 a year by heating your home with a wood burning stove rather than gas. With heating bills on the rise, any saving is good saving. Not every home is suitable for a wood burning or wood burning stoves due to the flu type so it’s important you do your research before making the switch. If your home is suitable and you’re looking to cut your heating costs then a wood burning stove could be the answer.

One of the cheaper ways to install a wood burning stove into your home is by using an open chimney. Pre-war terraced houses and older council homes were built with full open chimneys, which made them ideal for this type of installation. The installer simply runs an aluminium flu liner up the already open chimney and attaches a nose cone and rain cap. This method is cheaper because you don’t have to pay for the cost of materials and labour to build a new chimney.

By using an open chimney, you can also save money on your energy bills. The heat from the stove will rise up the chimney and won’t be lost through the walls of your home. As a result, you’ll be able to enjoy the warmth of your wood burning stove without having to worry about high energy costs.

It is a little more difficult with modern homes built without traditional chimneys and to be honest we have seen some really awful installs where a solid aluminium flu is run up through the ceiling in the middle of the room or run up the outside wall much to the alarm of the neighbours wanting to keep their property clean and tidy.

One of the reasons that many councils are now banning wood burners is that people started burning any old scrap wood, rather than purchasing proper Kiln Dried Logs from reputable merchants. Burning wood covered in paint or oils produces black toxic smoke which is legal to emit. Consequently, the council has decided to ban wood burners in an effort to reduce pollution. While some people may be unhappy with this decision, it is important to remember that there are other ways to heat your home without causing pollution.

kiln dried logs are a great alternative to wood burners and can be just as effective in warming up your home.

So you have the correct type of flu, your council hasn’t banned wood burners! should you still get a wood burning stove installed?

It’s generally a good idea to get a stove that can burn coal or smokeless fuels as well as wood, Coal is a fare superior material; I mean why do you think it was mined in the first place when we had all that wood lying around? The fact is that coal burns hotter and longer and it the most cost effective solid fuel around.

Before burning wood should be seasoned, or air-dried, to about 20 percent moisture. This takes about 6 months or even longer which is why reputable merchants can sell it at a premium.

Coal needs no seasoning because its moisture content is virtually zero. Nevertheless, coal should be bought from a reliable dealer who supplies anthracite free of excess material and dust.

Coal ignites at a temperature more than 100 degrees higher than wood, and it requires a hot bed of wood coals to get it started. Being far denser than wood, coal burns more steadily and for a lot longer.

Are There Still Coal Merchants in The UK?

Of course there are still coal merchants in the UK. Just because most of the UK coal mines where closed in the 1980’s doesn’t mean that the fuel isn’t still sold here, in fact retail and wholesale coal sales are big business.