Imported kiln dry logs ?

[cornish wood burner]

Sorry I was referring to a cube of logs being 500 kg ish

Chip price is low because the bought in price for chipwood is about 60% of hard wood price. Chipping cost and on site transport is about £10/ tonne which I guess is cheaper than processing and transporting logs.

After the initial purchase, drying weight loss, chipping and transport, on average chip costs us about £70/ tonne in the shed.

[MonsterMonster]

I'm thinking of installing a log burner in our house, all hot water etc is from gas, but with a log burner there would be no need to have any of the radiators on as the heat from the fire would soon warm up the house, it's not very big, so gas would only need to be used for hot water for taps, and bath. It's all hypothetical talking but I reckon wood would be cheaper,

Going by the renewables line, if you have mains gas then use it as that is the cheapest fuel available. Wood is only cheaper if you can get it for free. Hate to say it on this forum but buying in processed dry wood is bloody expensive; it's become a luxury fuel.

 

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[openspaceman]

Going by the renewables line, if you have mains gas then use it as that is the cheapest fuel available. Wood is only cheaper if you can get it for free. Hate to say it on this forum but buying in processed dry wood is bloody expensive; it's become a luxury fuel.

 

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I pay about 4p/kWh for gas and don't have a condensing boiler, so lose about 6% of what a better boiler would recoup.

 

BigJ here just posted oil at 37p/litre which beats my gas price by about 0.5pkWh

 

In recent times processed logs were always a luxury good and as such the income-price demand curve means as income goes up more luxury goods are consumed then in my area firewood sales should be buoyant.

[william petts]

Going by the renewables line, if you have mains gas then use it as that is the cheapest fuel available. Wood is only cheaper if you can get it for free. Hate to say it on this forum but buying in processed dry wood is bloody expensive; it's become a luxury fuel.

 

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Well that'd just it for us it would be free as I'd just nick a few logs of ourselves. Apart from that I suppose you can't put a price on the enjoyment of having a nice cosy fire, and like I said we would keep the gas

[william petts]

And a lof burner is far more inviting that the poxy gas fire thing that we have, I do like the look of an original brick fireplace

[Woodworks]

Ltr of oil contains almost 11 kWh so at 40p/ ltr that's about 4p / kWh

Cube of wood weighing 500 kg at £100/ cube is 20p/ kg

Kg of wood contains 4 kWh so 5p / kWh

If wood was £80/ cube then it's 4p / kWh same as the oil.

No calculator and not checked this btw

Our chip cost is just under 2 p/ kWh

 

Thanks Cornish

 

My 7p per kWh for wood is based on a dry cube (20%) of logs weighing 350 kg and costing £100.

 

So Oil works out at 4p per kWh and chip is very cheap but the kit to burn it I guess is not.

 

No Gas or oil here so didn't have a clue on those prices

[forestry]

The exchange rate is already making an impact on fieldsports ammunition and chainsaw bars, to name just 2. Imported Kiln Dried Firewood price increase is soon to follow, which will impact on the amount that arrives on our shores.

 

At least those that dry in the UK are supporting the regional economy to a degree. (Those EU driven Tariffs need to be curbed though ! )

 

Our ( The Real Firewood Co Ltd ) prices to container customers rose by about 23% compared to last year, however, the volume of sales has increased so your theory that imports would fall is wrong. Prices to container customers has now started to fall thanks to the euro exchange rate heading in the right direction.

As regards KDF v Seasoned, a KDF log at 20% mc is no different to a Seasoned log at 20%. The term "kiln dried" means it has been in a kiln, this could be for 10 minutes and the firewood could be 35%. The term KDF is relatively new to the firewood industry and it is the consumer who has latched on to the perception that KDF is somehow superior to seasoned ( I am not complaining ). My personal view is that it is no different, it is the moisture content that is the all important figure. The term KDF is just a great marketing term !

[matelot]

Perhaps any discussion on the relative costs of wood/ gas or oil heating should include boiler replacement costs? From what I understand a modern gas boiler will last 10 to 20 years. I can't help thinking a decent log stove should easily last 50 years.

[matelot]

Our ( The Real Firewood Co Ltd ) prices to container customers rose by about 23% compared to last year, however, the volume of sales has increased so your theory that imports would fall is wrong.

 

It's good to know imported logs now cost 23% more I can see Brexit being really good for UK forestry

[openspaceman]

Perhaps any discussion on the relative costs of wood/ gas or oil heating should include boiler replacement costs? From what I understand a modern gas boiler will last 10 to 20 years. I can't help thinking a decent log stove should easily last 50 years.

 

I use a 40+ year old Jotul but it's needed some patching up. It's nominally 5kW and would cost about £600 to replace, a Bosch-Worcester combi costs about £700 for 25kW and I've seen some going on for 20 years now.

 

It's largely irrelevant as it's a lifestyle thing, I've always burned logs because I had the raw material available, so apart from effort it is free.

 

Those that buy logs will similarly be considering the lifestyle but without the effort.

 

I regularly offer my neighbours free arb arisings but generally it's too much work.

 

One chap who has lived next door for over 20 years and is a good friendly neighbour took delivery of some hardwood logs yesterday.

 

The logs were barn dried and looked clean and free from stains or mould and occupied half of a Mercedes 3.5 tonne tipper, so a bay 2m x 1.8m x 30cm = bulk 1m^3. It was a well presented luxury good and I'm sure the neighbour wasn't very concerned with calorific value.

 

I didn't ask the log merchant, who I used to supply with all his roundwood 30 years ago, how much he charged but his business is doing well and he was delivering from 10 miles away.