Gas stove versus multifuel stove ?

theballboy

We have an open gas fire in our living room which whilst pleasant to look at is really inefficient and expensive to run. In fact we have generally stopped using it

We are doing a complete energy and and insulation rethink on the home and are considering putting in a dry multifuel stove in its place. But I'm wondering that since it has a gas line to a tank outside (one of those mobile Chipshop red delivered tanks as we are not on the gas grid) would it be just as efficient to get a more efficient gas stove?

What are the efficiency and running cost comparisons between gas stoves and wood/multifuel stove?

Thanks

new_owner

wood i would think is much cheeper than bottled gas but not than mains gas.

Ectophile

I find this site http://www.nottenergy.com/energy_cost_comparison/ useful for comparing costs. The 4th column gives the relative prices.

theballboy

new_owner wrote: »

wood i would think is much cheeper than bottled gas but not than mains gas.

Yeah I would imagine so. Crap not being on the gas grid.

theballboy

Ectophile wrote: »

I find this site http://www.nottenergy.com/energy_cost_comparison/ useful for comparing costs. The 4th column gives the relative prices.

Wood def cheaper then

A._Badger

theballboy wrote: »

Wood def cheaper then

Be very cautious. Wood is incredibly variable and unless you find a reliable supplier of well seasoned wood,or unless you have the room to store it under some sort of cover for a year or more, it can work out quite expensive and unreliable as a source of heat.

Some on this forum find manufactured wood briquettes better value than wood, but I've had no experience of them so can't comment.

Bottled gas is a waste of time in terms of value for money. You may want to consider a multifuel stove instead and burning smokeless solid fuel as an alternative to any of the above..

oldtractor

multifuel every time

YORKSHIRELASS

A._Badger wrote: »

Be very cautious. Wood is incredibly variable and unless you find a reliable supplier of well seasoned wood,or unless you have the room to store it under some sort of cover for a year or more, it can work out quite expensive and unreliable as a source of heat.

Some on this forum find manufactured wood briquettes better value than wood, but I've had no experience of them so can't comment.

Bottled gas is a waste of time in terms of value for money. You may want to consider a multifuel stove instead and burning smokeless solid fuel as an alternative to any of the above..

This is good advice. I often hear people on this forum saying they are going to get a woodburning stove and get free or cheap wood as a cheap way of heating their home.

First off free or cheap wood is unlikely to be of a decent enough quality, or quantity, to be your sole heating. If this was the case everyone would be doing it! The cost of getting a woodburner installed is not a cheap option either. Decent seasoned logs are not cheap and not always easy to come by, especially in the depths of winter.

We have moved over to smokeless fuel in our stove. This can only be burnt in a multifuel stove, there is a difference between a stove that can only burn wood and a multifuel which can burn smokeless fuel and this is something you need to research if you are thinking about it.

We are on oil heating and use the central heating rarely. Our stove burns 24/7 as I am at home most of the time and we spend about £13 a week on smokeless fuel so not an entirely cheap option. The bonus is that the stove never goes out and gives a constant slow burning heat which with proper insulation is very effective. Our kitchen diner where the stove is is currently 16 degrees which is comfortable for me and I havent had the heating on yet today.

We do also supplement the heat in our office with a small 800w oil filled radiator and there is obviously a cost for this.

I have never had gas heating so I cant advise you on this but I hope this might be helpful.

We also had new loft insulation fitted, replaced some windows and had the cavity walls insulated this summer and this has made an amazing difference to our house so definitely think about improving your insulation if this might be an issue.

Ectophile

Much of the wood I burn is free. But don't expect the firewood fairies to deliver free seasoned firewood to your doorstep.

If you want free wood, you're going to have to find somewhere you can collect it (and people might object if you start stealing their wood). Then you have to bring it home, and saw it into lengths. Then if it's too thick, split it. Then stick it in your wood store and leave it for at least a year before it's ready.