How to Beat the Energy Crisis by Installing a Log Burner

Energy prices. They’re currently on everyone’s lips. And, by the looks of things, they’re going to be a hot topic for a long time to come. As a result, more and more people are searching out ways to reduce their energy costs. If you’re one of them, then keep reading and we’ll tell you how you can beat the energy crisis by installing a log burner in your home…

Log burners are cheaper than other sources of heat

First of all, log burners represent a cheaper way to heat your home; particularly when you compare them to alternatives like gas and electric heating appliances.

According to research conducted by the Stove Industry Alliance (SIA), the average annual heating bill for a log burner is between £420 and £490.

This means that log burners can heat your home for a third of the cost of electric heating and around 13% less than gas central heating.

With the cost of both electricity and gas expected to continue to climb, these savings will add up to a considerable amount for most households.

And, it’s already clear that more and more people are turning to log burners as a cheaper, alternative way to heat their home and beat the energy crisis. It’s estimated that over 200,000 stoves were sold last year alone. Expect the number to be even higher by the end of 2022.

Log burners are cheap to buy and install

Whilst there isn’t a hard and fast price for installing a log burner (after all, every home is different), they tend to be cheaper to install than some other types of heating appliances.

Buying a log burner can cost you as little as £480. However, if you want to push the boat out and buy a log burner with advanced combustion technologies and features, then you can spend as much as £4,900.

The cost of installation will largely depend on the age of your house (whether it’s a period property or a new build), and whether or not you have a chimney.

In general, you should expect it to cost around £1,500 to install a log burner in a house with a functioning chimney.

If you need to install a flue system (in homes where there is no chimney), then the cost of installation will be in the region of £2,000.

Bear in mind that once you’ve installed a log burner, you’ll be able to get decades of use out of it - far more than other types of heating appliances.

Log burners are eco-friendly

One of the things that may potentially put people off about using a log burner to heat their home, is the idea that a log burner is polluting.

But, this isn’t the case.

Particularly since the introduction of the new EcoDesign legislation at the beginning of this year.

Are log burners eco friendly?

The EcoDesign legislation is effectively a set of rules that stipulates that log burners must be very clean burning and efficient, and that any log burner on sale today isn’t harmful to the environment.

The very latest EcoDesign-compliant log burners emit up to 90% less PM2 - particulate matter - compared to open fires, and up to 80% less than older types of log burners.

What’s more, log burners use a renewable resource - wood!

The firewood that is sold across the UK is predominantly sourced from sustainably managed sources, meaning that you’ll not be depleting the Earth’s resources. This compares favourably to fossil fuel based gas and electric heating appliances. These are points that are often overlooked when it comes to discussions about the energy crisis.

Log burners are versatile

Don’t let the name ‘log burner’ fool you.

Log burning stoves are highly versatile heating appliances and in many cases can use a wide range of fuels, making them ideal for scenarios such as the current energy crisis we are all experiencing.

We’ve detailed some of the best fuel options below.

Firewood for log burners

Seasoned wood

This is, of course, the best thing to use in your log burner. As our recent guide to buying firewood for your stove pointed out, seasoned wood provides improved stove performance, better efficiency, and reduced smoke. You can find quality firewood here at Manchester Firewood Supplies.

Coffee logs

A somewhat more unusual fuel for log burners is coffee logs. As the name suggests, coffee logs are made from recycled coffee grounds which are compressed into logs.

Coffee logs are estimated to burn 20% hotter and longer than equivalent volumes of kiln-dried wood.

Coffee log manufacturers such as bio-bean use coffee grounds from about 25 cups of coffee to produce each ‘log’.

With the UK consuming over 98 million cups of coffee each year, coffee logs are a great way of preventing coffee grounds from ending up in landfill sites.

Anthracite

Although the sale of traditional house coal has now been banned in the UK, it’s still possible to buy lower-sulphur coals such as anthracite.

That’s good because anthracite is an excellent fuel source for multi-fuel stoves, as it burns longer and hotter than many other types of fuels.

Crushed olive stones

Aside from being a delicious savoury snack, olives (or more precisely their stones), are also helping to heat UK homes.

Homefire’s Ecoal is made from crushed olive stones and is claimed to produce less C02, more heat and less smoke than either coal or wood.

Having been designed for multi-fuel stoves, this Ecoal also burns longer which makes it a cheaper alternative to kiln dried logs.

Peat briquettes

Made from shredded peat which is compressed into bricks, peat briquettes offer a great alternative to logs and coal.

Peat has the benefit of burning both very intensively and for a long duration.

Note - if you want to burn fuels such as peat briquettes, coffee logs, anthracite or Ecoal, then you’ll need to buy a multi-fuel stove, rather than a wood burning only stove.

Beat the energy crisis with a log burner today

Do you want to beat the energy crisis? Then do so with a log burner. As we’ve outlined above, wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves are not only a cheaper way to heat your home, but they’re also packed with benefits.

If you want to bring down your energy bills, then start with one of our great value stoves below.

Axon Chadwick Wood Burning/Multifuel EcoDesign Stove

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The Axon Chadwick is easily one of the best value log burners on the UK market today.

Featuring a robust design and construction, with a full-width cast iron door, the Chadwick will make a great focal point wherever you choose to locate it in your home.

The Chadwick has three air supply controls, meaning it’s easy to control and ensure that your fire is burning cleanly and efficiently. What’s more, as it is EcoDesign approved, it can be used in smoke control areas such as city and town centres.

If the Chadwick wasn’t appealing enough, it’s also a multi-fuel stove, so you’re not restricted to burning firewood. You can burn one of the alternative fuels that we outlined above too.

Woolly Mammoth 5 Wood Burning/Multifuel EcoDesign Stove

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With a sleek, modern design and a large viewing window, the Woolly Mammoth 5 is a compact, yet powerful stove that’ll look the part in homes old and new.

Thanks to its adjustable primary and secondary air intakes, the Woolly Mammoth 5 provides highly efficient and clean combustion, meaning that your fuel supplies will last for longer.

The Woolly Mammoth 5 will also heat up quickly. That’s thanks to its steel body, which will quickly begin to radiate the stove’s 4.9kW heat output out into your living space.

Plus, if you’re keen on getting a log burner that matches your home’s decor, the Woolly Mammoth is available with different colour doors, such as matt black, cream, red and grey.

Esse One Wood Burning EcoDesign Stove

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Would you like to own a log burner with a heritage and pedigree? Then buy the Esse One.

Esse has been manufacturing stoves in England since 1854 and can count historical greats such as Shackleton, Scott and Nightingale as customers.

The Esse One has a heat output of 5kW, which is more than enough to keep small to medium sized rooms well heated and comfortable.

Its performance doesn’t come at the expense of efficiency either. Thanks to its design and burn rate controls, the Esse One has an impressive efficiency rating of 82%.

When you match that with the fact that the Esse One is EcoDesign approved and suitable for use in smoke control areas, you have the perfect stove to help you beat the energy crisis.

ACR Woodpecker WP4LS Wood Burning EcoDesign Log Store Stove

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For over 35 years, ACR has been manufacturing high-quality stoves that are renowned for their efficiency and forward-looking designs.

The WP4LS takes traditional stove materials like cast iron, but crafts them into a modern, contemporary design. By incorporating an integral log store, it also adds a dash of convenience, saving you the hassle of popping out into the cold for more firewood.

Being DEFRA-exempt and EcoDesign approved, the WP4LS can be used in built-up areas without causing any pollution issues.

To top it all off, the WP4LS comes with a 5-year warranty, so it’ll provide you with years of reliable, uninterrupted performance.

We’re here to help!

If you’re new to the world of log burners, then it’s understandable that you may have plenty of questions.

For many people, especially if they are making the switch from gas or electric heating, the idea of installing and running a stove can be a little intimidating.

But it really doesn’t need to be!

Stoves are some of the simplest, most straightforward appliances out there. It’s for good reason that they’ve been used for hundreds of years.

Nevertheless, the Direct Stoves team is here to help. Whether you’ve got questions about installation, or want to know more about a particular stove, they’ll be happy to assist.

You can contact our customer service team on 0161 516 2955 or at: [email protected]