Gas or solid fuel?

treecol

I'm sure this has been covered before but I couldn't find a thread. Is solid fuel cheaper than gas per KW?
We're taking out an old inefficient gas fire, for this winter we'll just have an open fire then replace in the spring with a multi fuel stove.
Will I get more KW heat in the room from solid fuel? We are not in a smokeless area & can also burn wood. If hubby's back injury gets better our wood will be free. But looking on the negative side, if he can't return to work, would it be cheaper & more energy efficient to replace the gas fire with a new glass fronted one or go with a multi fuel?
Just to add, we have warm air heating in the house which is just too good to replace, so the fire is just a top up when we don't need the heating on.

alleycat`

If you can afford to buy in bulk and have somewhere to store it then coal will probably be just about cheaper than Mains Gas in a straight up cost per kwh.

However you'll need to factor in the costs associated with chimney sweeping, if the chimney is "sound" and needs inspecting and the "graft" of lugging about coal and the dust/ashes that it produces.

As an FYI:

You can't burn (most) coal on a stove and smokeless fuel is more expensive than coal so it becomes more expensive to have a stove and use smokeless fuel.

Wood if you have a free source and you consider your time "free" is probably cheaper than mains gas but again it requires storing / drying correctly for it to be used properly (usually at least 12 months / often 24+).

Overall having a stove is rewarding, i have one, but it isn't cheaper than having mains gas in pure "cost".

Or that's my experience.

treecol

Thanks Alleycat. Hubby is a tree surgeon so wood is a by product..a perk of the job!
We can buy in bulk but I'd forgotten that stoves need special fuel. I can get an version of Homefire Ovals for £350 per ton delivered, I thought that's quite good.