Save money and heat your home naturally with a wood stove

If you want an environmental heating solution that could also save you money, here’s why you should consider a wood stove.

You could save up to £410 per year
with a wood stove

“Wood stoves have really increased in popularity over the last three to four years, mainly because of environmental concerns,” says Paul Labus, from Bolney Stoves Ltd in Sussex. Wood stoves can also be an economical way of heating your home, either with a standalone heater or a more robust wood boiler connected to a central heating system.

Stoves come in a variety of designs and are fed by hand or an automatic fuel feeder – you can even buy models that have controls to keep the temperature in a room constant. So what’s stopping you?

What are the benefits of a wood stove?

Installing a wood burner in your home is an attractive, eco-friendly alternative to a conventional boiler. Whether you want a contemporary or traditional look; “Wood stoves look great and give off a really cosy, enveloping warmth that you just don’t get from radiators,” says Paul.

Burning wood produces less carbon than any other fossil fuel and can be offset by the amount of carbon the plant has absorbed during its lifetime. For example, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) reports that you will save 9.5 tonnes of C02 a year when replacing a coal fired system with a wood burner. If your wood isn’t locally sourced, then a small amount of carbon will be used cutting and transporting it, but as Alex Hunt from Bright Green Homes in Brighton points out: “If you replant the trees you cut down, wood burners are completely carbon neutral.”

Wood stoves run at around 70-80% efficiency and are extremely reliable, as Paul points out: “If the gas or electric goes off, a wood stove means you still have heat and light. ” You could also save as much as £390 per year on fuel bills if you replace a coal or electric system with a wood burner, says the EST.

Is your home suitable for a wood stove?

Wood stoves are suitable for most homes but you do need a chimney and working flue, which can be brought and inserted into the chimney. “You will also need a fairly large, dry space to store the wood,” says Alex. You will need to adhere to building regulations and be aware that if you live in a smokeless zone, only exempted wood burners can be installed. You will have to apply for planning permission if:

• You live in a listed or historical building
• The flue extends one meter or more above the height of the roof
• Your home is in an area of outstanding beauty or conservation

Hire a HETAS registered engineer
to install your wood stove

Fuel for wood stoves

Wood logs are most commonly used to fire stoves but pellets and chips are also available for different types of burners. “On average you might need two tonnes of wood over winter, at a cost of around £100 per tonne,” says Paul. You can get wood fuel easily from a merchant but you must make sure it is both dry and seasoned before use. Burning damp wood can block your flue with bituminous tar and creosote which can lead to chimney fires. According to the Solid Fuel Association, almost all cases of carbon monoxide poisoning are due to poor chimney maintenance and a blocked flue. “I would advise buying the wood in March or April and storing it until it contains around 18% moisture,” says Paul.

Installing a wood stove

Ideally you should hire an engineer to install your wood stove who is registered with HETAS, the body responsible for approving and installing solid fuel appliances for the home. A HETAS engineer will install the stove in accordance with building regulations, inform the local authority and provide you with a certificate for the work. “You can install a stove yourself,” says Paul, “but that means you have to inform the local authority and building control will have to inspect the installation.”

Maintaining your wood stove

You will need to empty the ash from your stove every few days and clean the throat plate regularly, but the most important thing is to have your chimney swept. This needs to be done at least twice a year. “If you use the stove all the time I would advise chimney sweeping at least twice each winter,” explains Paul. The Solid Fuel Association recommends hiring a HETAS engineer to carry out an annual service.

How much do wood stoves cost?

Paul suggests that an average standalone stove would cost around £2,000, including installation if you had an existing chimney. The EST estimate that an automatically fed wood boiler would cost around £11,500 including installation and inserting a flue. You should contact a wood stove specialist for a quote. It may also be worth contacting your local authority to see if there are any grants available for installing wood stoves in your area.

AB