A wood burner (also referred to as a wood-burning stove) is an efficient way of burning wood fuel to create heat. The wood-burning stove is made from metal (cast iron or steel) and one of the main components is the combustion area which is surrounded by fire bricks. We often have clients asking the question – do wood-burning stoves save money?

Maximising use of your wood-burning stove

Surprisingly, the vast majority of people who buy wood burners tend not to focus on the potential cost savings but more on carbon emissions and the look and feel of a wood burner. There is no doubt that they create a very homely and a very cosy atmosphere and the heat is certainly deep-seated. There are a number of ways in which you can maximise the use of your wood-burning stove and the wood fuel:-

•    Heat your living room in the evening
•    Open doors to the rest of your home at night time
•    Use your wood-burning stove of as opposed to central heating in the wintertime
•    Consider using larger wood burners to heat your water and radiators

A recent survey covering the stove industry has uncovered a number of issues which consumers would appear to experience on a regular basis. The survey took in 1500 stove owners and came up with some interesting facts which we will cover in detail.

How to use your stove

A staggering 25% of stove owners were not issued with any guidance about using their stoves upon purchase. This can have a significant impact upon safety, efficiency and value for money going forward. Here at Bowland Stoves we take our responsibilities extremely seriously and issue guidance on all equipment sold.

Using the correct fuel

This is concerning with a third of those questioned not advised of the best fuels to use for their stove. It would also appear that 43% were not even advised of the fuel types they should avoid thereby placing themselves in potential danger. We have numerous blog posts and are available for guidance at any time – we also regularly publish informative posts on our social media channels.

Over the years we have seen many queries from customers concerned about smoking seeping into their rooms either through air vents or the stove door. This is obviously a concern because there are potential health implications not to mention the smell and particles this can leave. In reality, there may be a number of reasons why smoke is seeping into your room and there are ways and means of stopping this immediately.

Exceptionally windy weather

It may sound strange but if you experience smoke seeping into your room on a one-off basis, or regularly, it may simply be down to exceptionally windy weather. It has been known for smoke to be blown back down the chimney and into the room via your stove. If you do begin to experience this on a regular basis then you should make a note of the weather conditions at the time. If it does become a major problem then it might be sensible to look at adding a different type of cowl to your chimney.

Aside from the traditional means of maintaining your stove’s efficiency, such as using the correct fuel, there are other ways in which you can ensure maximum efficiency going forward. As with the vast majority of efficiency tips, they are relatively simple but the cumulative impact can be significant, increasing heat output and saving you money.

Cleaning your stove

Whether you have a wood-burning stove or multifuel stove, it is imperative that you keep the inside and the outside clean. We know from experience that soot can very quickly build up in areas such as the throat plate, fire bricks and the gasket doors. It is therefore helpful to clean these on a regular basis and replace elements which have been worn or damaged.

There has been a lot of media coverage in relation to wood burning/multifuel stoves and what it is safe to burn. The UK government has launched a new clean air strategy and highlighted an array of different pollution sources. The simple fact is that burning any material creates heat but can also create an array of different pollutants.

The stove industry has improved the efficiency of both wood-burning and multifuel stoves enormously over the last decade. So far as to say, used correctly and burning the appropriate fuel, a modern day stove can be in excess of 80% efficient. It will also create 80% less air pollutants than stoves from just 10 years ago. In summary you should only use the following fuels:

While the UK weather is difficult to predict (to say the least!) there are a number of simple safety checks you can carry out on your wood-burning stove. These will ensure that you squeeze maximum efficiency from your stove which can cumulatively have a significant impact on your fuel bills.

Sweep your chimney

The general consensus seems to be that you should have your chimney swept at least once a year, if not twice a year, to ensure everything is okay. If issues are found at a relatively early stage they can be rectified while those left can eventually cause serious damage. Any blockages can also lead to potentially fatal gas escaping into your room although thankfully carbon monoxide metres are now commonplace.