Firewood for open fireplace in SE London?

spend_thrift

Hi,

I'm looking at the likely cost of using an open fireplace in a flat in SE London. I've had a look at previous threads on MSE and they're all quite old (2007), so the costs will be out of date.

I know a fireplace is supposed to be cheaper than gas or electric heating, but is that still the case if you have to buy in your firewood?

How much does firewood cost to buy these days? (I know about freecycle etc - I'm thinking of when you do need to pay for it.)

What are my options, realistically, if I'm only going to be home in the evenings during the week and at weekends? Can I use a boiler during the week for hot water and switch to fire at the weekend? Can I do the same thing with central heating? Or should I view the fire as supplemental heating only?

Is an open fireplace alright, or should I think about getting a woodburner fitted instead?

Thanks

hethmar

It depends on the circs of the flat really - do you have storage facilities for a lot of wood? Is the chimney in sound condition? Are you allowed to have a fire (which will give very little heat compared to a wood burner). If you have the woodburner you will have the extra costs of lining the chimney.

Personally Id have gas heating if you are working. Do you really want to faff about storing fuel and lighting fires when you come home to a freezing cold flat after work?

lynzpower

I take it its a conversion flat? Have you checked the chimney?

suisidevw

As said, hwo are the logistics with it being a flat and storage etc. You don't want to be buying the small bags from Homebase and the like. I think for good seasoned hardwood you'll be looking at about £80 a cubic metre, so it's not cheap! As said, the open fire won't warm your whole flat, it'll warm up a room (ours does) but that's about it. I get all my wood foraging and from freecycle etc and haven't bought wood in 2 years and use it most evenings in Winter. Good luck.

MX5huggy

Check with your local council website that you are not in a smoke control zone (I expect you are being in London), you can't use open fires in Smoke Control zone and only a few wood stoves are allowed.

http://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/

Gloomendoom

You can use open fires in a smokeless zone... as long as you use smokeless fuel.