WILL A LOG STOVE STOP YOU BURNING CASH?

THIS winter, is it worth installing a logburner to make use of the low running costs? According to the Stove Industry Alliance, a woodburning stove costs around a third of the price of electric heating to run and around 13 per cent less than gas central heating under the current price cap.

My friend Rachel, who lives in the country, swears by hers. She had it fitted in her kitchen/diner and says she doesn’t need to turn the heating on at all as it warms most of the downstairs as well as the bedroom directly above. ‘The other rooms are chillier but we tend to congregate in the kitchen anyway,’ she says.

The running costs are certainly enviable but buying and installing logburners runs into the thousands. One reader in Rotherham told me that she has just had two wood-burning stoves fitted in her home at a cost of around £5,000 for the stoves and surrounds and another £1,680 for the installation. She’s thrilled with the result but those stoves will need to burn for a good few years to recoup the cost. If you have the budget, though (and you’re allowed to have one in your area), it’s worth exploring.

You will need to get your chimney checked first and in the UK you can only buy stoves which meet the new Ecodesign legistation.

Find out more at the gov.uk website (