Wood Burning compared to Gas, Oil and Electricity

Hobbit Small Woodburning Stove

Buy the Hobbit WoodBurning Stove

Wood burning is rated the most cost effective way of heating when compared to gas, oil and electricity.

Ideally the temperature in your home during winter should be between 20°C and 24°C – and not drop below 16°C for bedrooms. But keeping warm costs a lot.

Around one-third of the energy supplied to our homes is used entirely for space heating. So it makes sense to reduce your heating bill if you can.

We’ve calculated the rates charged for different ways of heating your home. In the past our calculations have included fixed charges such as connection fees, annual rentals for larger LPG cylinders, and the per-day charges that used to be known as “line charges”.

This year we’ve decided to exclude these fixed charges because the energy supplied may also be used for cooking – and also because virtually all UK households have to pay a fixed daily charge for the electricity that provides their lighting.

The results of this comparative heating analysis shows by far that the cheapest renewable heating source is wood burning.

The cheapest form of heat is wood burner especially when you get free fire wood. Wood is one of the few sustainable carbon-neutral home-heating options. However, to get most heat, it has to be burned hot and in a specially designed firebox.

Burning wood is quickly regaining popularity and regardless of what your main source of heating is, it may be a good choice of alternative heating for your home. Firewood is economical and readily available in most areas. That being said, equipping your home with a wood-burning stove or fireplace does require a small investment, but you can generally recoup these costs over a few heating seasons.

Heating With Wood Options

The main choices when it comes to burning wood for home heating are: a traditional wood heat stove or fireplace, a pellet stove which can burn wood pellets or other fuels, or a wood furnace. Wood cookstoves are also increasing in popularity in modern homes due to their dual functionality.

Since the vision is a long-term alternative heat source, take time to consider the benefits and constraints of each type of heating before buying a wood-burning appliance. It’s also wise to consider the operating costs and maintenance involved in heating with wood.

Last year the oligarchs decided to increase the costs of power. Britain’s Big Six energy providers announced inflation-busting hikes that hit millions of customers where it hurts the most, in their pockets.

So, with another cold spell on the cards, is it worth households investigating the potential for cheaper ways to heat their homes?

Sales figures for wood burning stoves are up 35 per cent from 2012, as Britons choose to switch to wood as a renewable carbon neutral way of keeping themselves warm in winter.

According to H.E.T.A.S. , the industry regulatory body, at least 175,000 households are installing a woodburner each year, which is five times more than in 2007.

But booming woodburner sales may be as much about home fashions as energy efficiency.

Most homes that have them fitted do so without the means to spread the warmth through the property, meaning that they only heat the room they are in.

Burning wood costs an average of 4p per kilowatt hour, which is considerably cheaper than gas, as the average new gas tariff will rise to 6p per kilowatt hour from 15 November 2013.

With gas prices rising by up to 11.1 per cent, the average household could save more than £300 a year by installing a woodburning stove.

Our heating bills have gone down by 25%

Dominic and Anna Brandi, who live in Twickenham, London, with their children Mary,16, and Beyonce, 14, bought a woodburning stove from https://salamanderstoves.com and haven’t looked back. They explain why:

We bought a black Hobbit SE stove with a 4kw output for the very reasonable price of £525, but with flu liner and installation the total came to about £2100.

The heat output is definitely so high that we have had to turn the heating down in the downstairs at least, since we have had it as it seems to radiate warmth throughout. Without doing tiny minute calculations I would definitely say our heating bills have gone down about 25 per cent.

It looks so beautiful, we know other people who have wood burners and they look great. Everyone loves them as are very economical to run, very eco-friendly, efficient and look great with little maintenance. You do not have to clean up much and they keep a great heat for a long time with little attention required to keep that flame going. When winter comes, I really look forward to coming home and sitting by our stove at night with the lights down low!

Maintenance costs hardly anything. We get the chimney swept every year or so before the season for about £50, and a service every other year which is really inexpensive. From time to time the fire bricks and rope seals will need replacing but these are very small and infrequent costs. The initial outlay was the most we’ve paid for it, and as it lasts for years and years, that’s really worth it.

Fuel costs £7.30 for a large bag of kiln dried logs which lasts us nearly a week. We light the stove for about three hours a night at the moment on a slow burn which uses about three logs per night. When it gets colder we will light it in the days on a steady low heat and the logs will still be cheaper than keeping the heating on all day.

What will it cost me?

A wood burning stove installed in a house with an existing chimney to heat one room is likely to cost between £1,350 and £3,750, so there’s quite an initial outlay before the investment can start paying off.

The stove

In terms of the stove itself, there are lots of different makes and models with varying price tags so it’s worth doing your research.

In general, basic wood burning stoves with heat outputs of 4kW to 10kW sell for between £500 and £1,500, although designer stoves can cost substantially more.

This unique range of compact stoves, quality cast iron multi fuel stoves have been carefully designed to incorporate the features of larger stoves, in a smaller package. The contemporary design is married with traditional elegance, making them suitable for a wide range of applications and situations.

Tiny Homes

An interesting self build tiny home from the US is highlighted here in this interesting blog.

http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house-concept/colins-coastal-cabin/

and this one

http://kennyandestherstinyhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2013_10_01_archive.html

Small Stove Review 9

Our Hobbit Stove Has Been Fitted!

"We had a Hobbit stove fitted this week by Alex Reay from Flues and Fires, and I just wanted to get in touch to say it is AMAZING and we love it! We have a lovely cast iron tiled fireplace which I was desperate not to lose when we installed a small wood burning stove, but until I found the Hobbit on Google, everyone told me it would be impossible to keep the fire surround. The Hobbit is perfect - not only does it fit very snugly, but it looks fantastic and the blue door complements the tiles very nicely. We are sitting enjoying a fire now and absolutely loving it! Thanks for creating such an amazing product."

Nicola Williams

Small Stove Review 10

The Best Stove Ever!

"It’s the best stove ever! It’s easy to light, very efficient, burns anthracite and stays in overnight (ours has been in for three weeks now). It even keeps a kettle of water at the ready for a cuppa! What more can I say, we love it! Just the thing to make our Yorkshire home cosy, and the cat loves it too!"

Lynn and Andrew, West Yorkshire

small stove review 16

First Small Stove Installation

Was looking for a small stove for my first self-install. Found Mark very helpful. Knowledgeable, friendly service. Stove burns well and generates lots more heat than the previous open fire. What is not to like?

Sam

Small Stove Review 15

A Huge Thank You!

"Dear Mark and Gill, a huge thank you for designing and making the Hobbit stove! We had two different London-based fireplace companies tell us that we simply had to knock out the old cast iron and tile fireplace to fit in a woodburning stove, and that there was no other option! Then we found you online. We are delighted with our little Hobbit, which swallows up logs and kicks out a good amount of heat. Perfect for the winter! I will also be writing to the London-based fireplace companies to put the Hobbit on their radar. Best wishes."

Nat

Small Stove Review 14

Delighted With Our Hobbit Stove!

"Mark, Gill, thank you for your assistance, we are delighted with our Hobbit! I fired it up this evening after taking all afternoon making a register plate to fit the opening."

Alan

Small Stove Review 5

It's Brilliant!

"Hi Mark, here's a photo of the Hobbit installed in my Yorkist grate. It’s brilliant! It also throws out a lot more heat than the grate did."

Roger T

Small Stove Review 3

Just to Say Thank You!

"I just had a chat with Gill saying how delighted we are with our little Hobbit stove, and to also thank you both for your attention to detail and excellent customer service!"

Derrick

Small Stove Review 4

The Little Hobbit Has Stepped Up To The Challenge!

"We just wanted to say how impressed and how much of a life saver our little Hobbit has been! It was fitted a few months ago in our holiday home in Rhu, Scotland, which is a large open plan conversion in a Victorian house. This weekend our boiler decided it was not going to play ball. The little Hobbit has stepped up to the challenge, providing heat to a very large area, about twenty eight foot by twenty four foot with a high ceiling of about eighteen foot, keeping the room reasonably warm, warm enough for us not to use cardigans!”

Alan W

Small Stove Review 8

Very Pleased With Our Hobbit!

"We are very pleased with the stove and think it looks great! We restored our fireplace (it was hidden under plaster!) and the whole look is better than we hoped!"

Neil

Small Stove Review 2

Absolutely Delighted!

"Just had our Hobbit SE installed in our Victorian fireplace and we are absolutely delighted with the end result. We felt passionate about preserving our lovely fireplace!"

Andy

Small Stove Review 13

Our Pride And Joy!

"What a fantastic fireplace with the beautiful Hobbit stove. It fits perfectly into the small space and throws out a lot of heat. Here's a photo of our little stove, now our pride and joy and much admired by all who see and feel the warmth."

Chris and C

Small Stove Review 11

Fantastic!

"Just to bid you all a Happy New Year and to say how much we’re enjoying having our Hobbit stove! It was easy to fit with the help of your excellent ‘how to’ videos and we’re just awaiting our inspection by building control for the certification. The Hobbit has fitted neatly into the hearth vacated by the old gas back boiler (with a little cosmetic rendering) and never ceases to surprise us how much heat it can deliver to the point that the new condenser boiler is having an easy life, thereby saving us on gas bills too! Everyone loves having a ‘real fire’ in the living room."

Philip Baird

Small Stove Review 6

A Brilliant Little Wood Burner!

"The stove we bought from you is really starting to come into its own as the weather cools down. Here is a photo showing how much one of our dogs is enjoying it!"

Small Stove Review 1

Brilliant Product!

"Just wanted to share a picture of our newly installed Hobbit. Absolutely delighted with it, and so pleased we were able to retain our existing fireplace as well. Brilliant product, thank you!"

Marion

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