Cost of running a woodburner

Cost of running a wood burner

The cost of running a woodburner is as important as any other household cost.

These days, how much something costs to run is an important question.

Owing to recent global events, prices for energy, among other things, are soaring.

Such inflationary pressures are causing all consumers to look carefully at the bottom line.

How much things cost are some of the most frequent conversations at present.

Sadly, it is likely that these price increases are here to stay.

So, at Hot Box, we have been keeping an eye on costs for you so you know how much it is going to cost to run a woodburner in the 2022/2023 winter season.

Notwithstanding current inflationary pressures, keeping our homes warm is a physiological need.

So, let’s get down to detail and look at the cost of running a woodburner this winter.

Cost of running a woodburner | What do I need?

• Stove Service or chimney sweep

Importantly, you should ensure that your woodburner is in good working order.

A well maintained stove will provide greater efficiency and provide more heat for your💰.

If you have been running your stove all of last winter, it might be time to get a service.

A stove service is relatively inexpensive and can be booked online form sites such as these:

• The Stove Guys | Book chimney sweeps and stove services online. 
• Hot Box Stoves | Book Stove services and order wood fuel online. 

So, our advice is to start here and get this done before the cold weather sets in.

• Order Logs

Get your logs nice and early, stack them in your wood store or garage and let them dry out as much as possible.

Importantly, logs should have a moisture content of less than 20% and have been purchased from a Woodsure approved supplier.

Stacking your logs will help them dry out further, dry wood fuel will provide less emissions and more heat than wet or damp logs.

If you can get the moisture content down to 10-15% then this will be perfect for use in a wood burner.

Alternatively, you could order kiln dried fuel from a supplier if you don’t have space to stack and store large quantities of wood fuel.

Either way, logs should be ordered well in advance as it is likely to be a busy season for stove and wood suppliers.

• Buy Firelighters

Of course, we would say this.

However, last season we sold out and have spent the summer making more stock but we do not anticipate it lasting too long.

Of course, if you do not want to use Hot Box ® Firestarter, you will need to factor in kindling too.

Although, we don’t bother with that as our Patented fire-lighter does the job of both.

• Prepare your hearth

Now, getting everything ready in advance of the first fire of the season does not hurt.

In summary, you will by now have had your wood burner serviced and chimney swept.

You may have booked online after finding your local chimney sweep on The Stove Guys. 

Your logs are bought and stacked neatly, in your wood store or garage.

Further, you have ordered your fire starters from Hot Box and filled your log basket in preparation.

Now, all you need to do is wait for the colder nights to draw in.

We know the process, what are the costs?

You may be forgiven for thinking that we had moved off topic back there.

Of course, the real purpose of the article is to examine the cost of running a wood burner.

However, it is first important to understand process.

So, no we have done this, let us look at the costs.

Based upon real exapmples in the last 4 weeks, we are telling our story from North Yorkshire.

Our wood supplier is local to us and our end user is using one single wood burner in their homes.

The wood stove is 5kw in output and has been installed, by Hot Box Stoves Limited, to heat a single living room.

Cost of running a woodburner | What has our user bought ready for the season?

This year, owing to recent hikes in the cost of energy, our user has bought more logs than usual.

3m3 in bags have been purchased from a local wood sure approved wood fuel supplier.

You can find them online at The Stove Guys.

3m3 at a cost of £95.00/m3 brings to total on wood fuel to £285.00 inclusive of VAT, 5% to the end user on wood fuel, and delivery.

Further, our user has had a stove service undertaken by Hot Box at a cost of £120.0 Inc VAT.

Also, when booking their stove service online, they added two 8 packs of firelighters to their cart for delivery at the same time, £12.00 per pack so a total of £24.00. However, they are likely to buy a further 8 this season based upon the amount of logs so lets include this too at £120.00 for 10 x 8 pack of Hot Box ® Firestarter.

Our user believes that this will be the total annual spend, so lets add it all together.

1. Stove Service £120.00
2. Logs 3m3 for £285.00
3. Natural Firelighters, £120.00 80 fires in total.

Total cost of running a woodburner therefore for the burn season of £525.00 inclusive of VAT or £43.75 per month over the course of a year.

However, based upon last years consumption, our example user still had enough fuel left to enjoy their wood fired pizza oven on several occasions over the summer.

Oh, by the way, our eco-fireligher is ideal for use in pizza ovens too!