If you’re planning to install a stove in your shed, hut, cabin or garden office then no doubt you’ve probably already visited some websites and also watched a few of the many YouTube videos to help kick-start your project. It’s important though to point out that a lot of these ‘how to’ videos, however well-intentioned they may be, in our opinion are grossly misinformed and some of the practices shown are actually downright dangerous... read more
Please don’t. Instead, if you can, think seriously about installing one of the new breed of highly efficient, low emissions Ecodesign stoves. One of these will make your fuel go up to four times further than an open fire as well as save you serious money, both on the cost of your fuel, and also on how much you will need to use your gas or oil-fired central heating… read more
It really pays to think about this as soon as possible, even if you're not quite ready to fit one right away. When a wood burning stove is planned in from the very start, in many cases, it could help you to reduce its installation costs. It will also simplify dealings with Building Control and it will improve your SAP calculation. Better still, If the stove is for a new-build you can even claim the 20% VAT back. Read more...
After all the scaremongering and misinformation about stoves a national daily paper finally sets the record straight with a factual article on exactly what it costs to run a wood burner compared to electricity and gas. The Sun article makes welcome news to stove lovers everywhere who probably knew all of this anyway. Since the article was written before Firmus, one of Northern Ireland's two gas suppliers, announced that their price will rise by 38%, adding a further £267 to a typical annual gas bill, the comparison will now be much more in favour of stoves.
Time to take a reality check about stoves and air quality. We recently came across this well-considered article 'Ban wood burning stoves? I think not' by Michael Bye at Ceramic Glass. In it he perfectly and reasonably challenges some of the hysterical press and TV coverage about stoves... read more
Whether you like it or not heat pumps are coming. The government has big plans to make them play a major role in the UK's domestic heating mix. Carbon-loaded coal fired electricity generation is now virtually a thing of the past and next on the Governments hit list is doing away with fossil fuels, such as oil and gas. Since domestic heating is one of the biggest users of these fuels, then removing them from our homes has to be a priority. The Government is planning for some 600,000 heat pump installations per year until 2028. But what are they like to live with...
