Advice Please : What type of fire is the most efficient ??

jasper2004

Hi Folks.

We are in a 1950's 2 bed bungalow & following my latest gas bill i'm considering other heating options. The bungalow has a boarded up open fireplace & thinking of opening it up.

My questions are .....

Which type of fire is the most effective in heating & running costs (open, woodburner or gas ??).

Is a fire more cost effective for heating than gas central heating system ??


Any advice & feedback appreciated.

macman

An open fire is by far the least efficient form of heating you can have-because most of the heat goes straight up the chimney. A woodburner is much more efficient, especially if you can install a back bolier with it. Gas CH is the most efficient, but obviously a much bigger investment.

Jonesya

To put some very rough numbers to that,
Open fire ~30%
High efficiency stove 70 - 80%
High efficiency gas fire ~80% (100% for the flueless types, but you get the moisture going into the room)
Condensing boiler >90%

Most fires won't be more efficient than CH with a condensing boiler but it might cost less to run if it lets you keep the rest of the house cooler whilst keeping just the one room really warm.

Poppy9

If you have have cavity walls, you may want to think about insulating them. Also check your loft insulation.

jasper2004

Thankyou for the responses so far.

I already have all walls & loft insulated with a modern condensing boiler running radiators throughout the bungalow.
Was hoping that a fire in the lounge would not only be a nice focal point but also allow me to turn the central heating right down (even off) in adjoining rooms & try & use the heat from the fire.

Would this be a realistic goal ??

macman

If you are running the CH anyway, then turning off or down a couple of rads is not really going to greatly reduce your gas consumption. By all means fit a fire (preferably a woodburner) as a focal point but not really for economy.