Wood-burning stoves are hot property in energy crisis

WOOD-BURNING stoves are vanishing from sale as desperate households look for old-fashioned ways to beat the energy crisis.

A recent surge in demand, coupled with Covid manufacturing backlogs, means that certain models will not be available until next summer at the earliest, manufacturers have warned.

Retailers said consumers were looking for alternatives to electricity and gas to heat their homes after energy prices soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In some cases customers have been buying several log burners at a time, retailers said, as households had been spurred into action by fears of winter blackouts.

Choice Stoves, an online retailer in Lancashire, said on its website that it had suspended online orders given the “UK stove shortage”.

Another firm, Backwoodsman, based in the Scottish Highlands, said it had been “inundated” after orders increased by 165pc in the past year.

Claire McIntyre, of Backwoodsman, said this had caused delays for buyers.

She said: “There have been occasions where the waiting times have jumped from, say, three months to six months almost overnight.”

Ms McIntyre added: “If we place a new order with Wood warm, which is a manufacturer in Devon, we’re talking about June for delivery. Companies are actually thinking about forward ordering for next winter in order to have available stock.”

With lockdowns disrupting supply chains and putting foundries out of business, the industry has buckled under this surge in popularity. A shortage of materials, such as cast iron, has added to its woes.

Supplies of Scandinavian brands such as Contura and Jøtul are running particularly low. Retailers said Hwam stoves, made in Denmark, would not be available until 2024 in some cases.

Demand for these models is high across Europe. Max Barlow, of Readingbased retailer Bonfire, said German households had also been turning to wood-burning stoves after suffering issues with gas supplies from Russia.

Although shortages are less severe among domestic brands, some – including Charlton & Jenrick or Charnwood – have also been subject to delays.