Cost of running a wood burner

[baz]

Yup.....free wood = free heat. If you pay for the logs a wood burner isn't a cheap way to heat a house but makes the eco types feel happy.

 

I have to disagree that paid for wood isn't a cheap option to provide heating and hot water via a back boiler. If you take my hardwood at £80/m3 (weighing in at 660kg) which I supply under 20% moisture then the heat generated costs less than3p/Kwh. That is well under the cost of heating oil, gas or electricity. So it comes down to how efficient the stove is relative to a modern gas boiler for a central heating comparison. Even if 50% of the heat goes straight up the chimney wood would still be no more expensive than gas and well under the price of electricity.

 

I do believe most wood retailers are unaware of or are overlooking the price advantage. Wood is a cheap fuel even with the rise in prices for cord over the last 12 months.

 

For those who like facts and figures go google and you can come up with lots of sites breaking down fuel costs. The California Energy Commission give a pretty full breakdown by wood species and here is a link to a UK site Firewood

Edited August 1, 2011 by baz

[Crazy Cutter]

Summer time buy in bulk. My customers have 16 m2 straight from the woods at 600.00, which works out at the same now as 1000 ltrs of heating oil. My price increases as of september to cover extraction which is why people need to be more prepared. Most customers struggle to get through 16 cube in a winter.

[Milly]

It also pays to make friends with your local joiners. I used to pop round to my local joiner every few weeks to collect there offcuts it made great kindeling and also the larger chunks went up well when mixed in with some logs.

They were happy to give it to me as they did not sell it and they would have had to pay to have it removed.

[spudulike]

I have to disagree that paid for wood isn't a cheap option to provide heating and hot water via a back boiler. If you take my hardwood at £80/m3 (weighing in at 660kg) which I supply under 20% moisture then the heat generated costs less than3p/Kwh. That is well under the cost of heating oil, gas or electricity. So it comes down to how efficient the stove is relative to a modern gas boiler for a central heating comparison. Even if 50% of the heat goes straight up the chimney wood would still be no more expensive than gas and well under the price of electricity.

 

I do believe most wood retailers are unaware of or are overlooking the price advantage. Wood is a cheap fuel even with the rise in prices for cord over the last 12 months.

 

For those who like facts and figures go google and you can come up with lots of sites breaking down fuel costs. The California Energy Commission give a pretty full breakdown by wood species and here is a link to a UK site Firewood

 

I was basing my comment on a non back boiler stove so heating one room or a bit more if you leave the door open - there are always exceptions to the rule!

I have no doubt you are right in what you say!

[County4x4]

How much is a pallet of 100 packs?

 

£310 delivered mate, and these don't do the expanding thing which decreases burn time, or the falling to bits if disturbed thing either - they form proper briquette shaped embers which keep chucking the heat out long after the flames have died down. We have quite a lot of customers living on boats, and they love them as they can keep them in overnight in a small stove - which is something you'll be very lucky to do with any other variety.

 

Andy

[Alycidon]

The Nottingham Energy Partnership web site will give you all the comparative costs of energy, price per kw and CO2 emissions per kw.

 

Energy Cost Comparison | Nottingham Energy Partnership

 

I did try and paste the chart here but it just merges all the numbers together.

 

In round figures paying commercial rates for logs (see the additional info for log prices paid on the bottom of the chart) the cost per kw will be about the same as mains gas at present.

 

We know that the price of gas it rising fast due to govt taxes and most of us recognise that hardwood will need to be £120 a cu m pretty soon if buying wood from the likes of Tilhill etc. Again govt taxes will come into play if they have not already. At least by buying a big stock of wood you can 'fix' your energy prices.

 

If your lady has a source of cheap wood then her costs will be somewhat lower. Be aware though that burning used pallets is not advised due to the preservatives used on them. These are harmfull to human health.

 

A

Edited August 1, 2011 by Alycidon

[windfall]

My stove is not linked to my heating, during the winter months i will easily burn through a quarter to a third of a cube of logs a week. Mixed hard and soft. Our oil fired boiler is also on but its not working as hard as it would be if i didnt light our stove.

 

When the summer hits my underfloor heating etc is all turned off and if its chilly at night we light the stove, this heats our lounge and also our bedroom and bathroom.

 

I know for sure its cheaper than turning on the oil fired boiler!

Edited August 1, 2011 by windfall

[husky61]

Energy Cost Comparison | Nottingham Energy Partnership

 

Interesting link - Surprised at how costly the ground source heat pumps are since they are perceived as generating "free" heat - must be the increasing cost of the electricity required to pump all of the water around.

[windfall]

LOL thats what GSHP means! cheers

[Alycidon]

I had a customer in last week who we installed a 5kw stove into a 2 bed bungalow in a village without gas this time last year. He said the stove had saved him and 3/4 of a tank of oil and had paid for itself in one year. He said it is the best thing he has every bought.

 

A