Installing your stove

Choosing a heater isn’t just a question of looks and price – as Paul Ravnbo-West, flame technology manager at Dimplex, explains…

WOOD- AND MULTIFUEL-BURNING STOVES The pros

• Wood is carbon-neutral. • Cheaper to run than LPG (Liquid propane gas) or oil. • You won’t have to rely on a utility company for all of your heat.

• The appeal of a real flame fire and its traditional feel are difficult to mimic. • Significantly more efficient than an open fire.

The cons

• Need to factor in buying and storing solid fuel. • Wood is more expensive than gas or electricity. • Installation can be costly, with chimneys requiring professionally installed flues for safety. • Woodburning is contributing to particulate air pollution.

• Setting a fire takes time and skill, and it can’t be left unattended once lit.

ELECTRIC/GAS STOVES

The pros

• No soot, no ash and no mess to clean up. • Electric fires and some gas models don’t rely on a chimney, greatly reducing the installation cost.

• You get instant heat that’s also controllable. • Portable stoves can be moved between rooms, and heat up in minutes. • Electric fires are

100 per cent efficient.

The cons

• It’s impossible to completely replicate the atmosphere of a real woodburning stove.

• With lower heat outputs, they’re better suited to topping up heat, rather than as a main source of warmth. • Electric heaters can be expensive to run; electricity costs approximately three times the price of gas per kWh.