61% of people say their wood-burning stove has saved them money

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Does a wood-burning stove really save you money? Perhaps the best way of judging is by drawing upon an independent piece of research by a trusted organisation.

Consumer advice organisation Which? carried out a survey in which it asked its members who own wood-burning stoves whether their appliance had helped their finances.

Of those surveyed by Which? in December 2014, 61% of wood-burning stove owners said getting their stove had helped them to save money.

It is worth considering that respondents were only asked whether they thought their stove had saved money, so the results are only based on their perception and not necessarily any factual basis. However, given that all those surveyed are members of Which?, it is safe to assume that they paid closer attention to the success of their purchase than a random cross-section of society would have.

By the same taken, some of those respondents might have factored in the cost of buying and installing their stove and therefore deemed that it had not yet delivered a net saving in comparison to avoiding that outlay and continuing to pay their old heating bills. So, perhaps over time the figure would prove to be even higher than 61%.

Key factors

It is worth bearing in mind that the savings made to heating bills have a lot to do with the way in which the stove is operated. The more efficiently it is used, the greater the savings that can be made.

The type of wood your choose to burn, the degree to which the logs are seasoned, the frequency with which you refuel the appliance, the quality of insulation in your home, the way you operate the air vents and how clear your chimney are among the key factors in this regard.

Click here to learn more about efficient use of a wood-burning stove.

Things all woodburner owners learn the hard way

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Ashes stay hot for a really long time
All wood-burning stove rookies quickly find out why old style dustbins used to say ‘No Hot Ashes’ on the lid. Hours and hours after you thought the fire had gone out, they will still burn through anything they get a chance to.

Your woodburner is also really hot
The very purpose of a wood-burning stove is to provide heat to our home. At its most basic level, it is a metal box with a fire inside – and we all know that metal conducts heat. Yet human curiosity demands we – at least for the briefest of milliseconds – touch our stove to find out: “Can it really be that hot?” The answer is always yes – and you never touch the stove again without the aid of a stove glove.

Birds are clumsy
If you don’t have the foresight to install a chimney cowl at the same time as your woodburner, you will quickly discover that, despite having the power of flight at their disposal, birds have a habit of finding their way into stoves.

Smoke is indiscriminate
If you’re not operating your stove correctly and ensuring there is a good draw up the chimney, the smoke generated by your appliance does not really mind whether it goes upwards or outwards. This lesson is usually learnt when inhaling a couple of lungs’ worth of the byproduct of a slumbering stove.

Logs are irresistible
Spot a log – wherever you happen to be – and you will immediately start plotting the logistics of how you might be able to get it home to your stove. You woodburner will bring out a forager’s instinct.

Did you learn something the hard way when you first got your woodburner? Leave a comment below to let us know.