Maybe better to have just electric with log burner?

cashlearner

With the energy price increases is it better to only have electric so that only one standing charge is payable of about 28p per day, and for heating use a log burner with maybe some bioethanol heaters in other rooms?

facade

Depends on how much you are paying for your kiln dried logs- it is an offence to burn anything except authorised fuels in most parts of England.

Verdigris

You'll still have to pay the daily charge for gas, unless you pay to have the meter removed and the supply pipe capped. You'd have to pay again to have it reconnected.

Log prices will/have go up as demand rises. Whether that is as much as other fuels, I couldn't say.

I believe there has been some discussion, on one of the MSE forums, about bio-ethanol burners. They are not cheap to run, was the conclusion, IIRC.

Better to turn the thermostat down and also check that your central heating is properly balanced so the boiler works at its highest efficiency. (assuming a condensing boiler)

Effician

facade said:

Depends on how much you are paying for your kiln dried logs- it is an offence to burn anything except authorised fuels in most parts of England.

Where did you get that info from?

cashlearner

We know someone who does a bit of gardening work and occasionally cuts down a tree and drops off logs for us, so we sometimes get some free. Then we have to dry them for a year in our log store.

 I might get a bioethanol heater to see how efficient it is and look to heating just a few rooms rather than having the central heating on. I wonder if bioethanol prices might drop if more people are using it? 

Verdigris

I wonder if bioethanol prices might drop if more people are using it?

I doubt it. Prices normally go up with demand with established products (different with new products until a certain "head of steam" has built up). Petrol now contains up to 10% bio-ethanol, so it isn't a niche product. You probably pay more for the container than fuel for domestic quantities.

Phlik

Effician said:

facade said:

Depends on how much you are paying for your kiln dried logs- it is an offence to burn anything except authorised fuels in most parts of England.

Where did you get that info from?

Burning house coal and wet wood have been banned as of may 2021.
Manufactured fuels and dry wood (<20%) are fine. It's perfectly acceptable to season your own wood and you can still buy in unseasoned wood over a specific quantity (which I can't remember off hand)