Wood burning stoves are popular as they provide a traditional looking fire for a reasonable running cost, but can they replace a gas boiler for heating the home?
The cost of wood varies, but can cost less per kilowatt-hour than gas heating. If you live in a rural area, you may even be able to source free wood from fallen branches in woods, but it is hard work to cut them into manageable sizes and transport them to the home. You also need space to store the wood.
If you only heat one room in the house, a wood burning stove can do the job. However, what a wood stove does not do is heat the whole house and the hot water, neither is it as controllable as central heating. If you want to keep every room that is being used warm, central heating controlled by a smart thermostat can heat the home more efficiently than a wood burning stoves.
A wood stove must be cleared of ash and filled with logs each time it is used. If the stove is not monitored closely, it can run out of logs and will need relighting. With a gas boiler and an app-based control system, you can set it and forget about it.
If you want the luxury of a wood-burning stove, install one in the living room as a supplement to a central heating system, not a replacement. However, you can check that your boiler is running efficiently by booking an Xgas boiler service in Chester or a nearby area now.
