Cost Saving of Wood Burner (kw/h gas consumption reduction v's cubic meters of wood burnt).

[Deleted User]

I'm installing a multi-fuel stove and have been looking at running costs - hard to get reality as nobody seems to measure precisely how much fuel they use and how much it costs, unlike for gas and electricity which I suppose is easy to measure via our bills. The theory I got so far is that wood is more expensive than smokeless fuel and doesn't burn as hot. That's if you can't get it for free. 
"Dry wood contains around 4-5kWh of energy per kg, so a 5kW stove will burn around a kilogram of wood an hour, if kept well stoked.

A modern day log burner will use an average of 3.5 cubic metres of wood, if used during the evenings and weekends from October to April."
"Smokeless fuel is more like 8kWh/kg, so your stove might get through 0.65kg per hour. 
According to research by the Nottingham Energy Partnership, smokeless fuel costs just 9.03 pence/kWh, significantly less than the expensive 16.66 pence/kWh provided by electricity. These rates are based upon averages across the industry to provide a well-rounded, balanced comparison."
Can't remember exactly where I got this info but probably some here https://householdquotes.co.uk/wood-burning-stove.
Gas bills are likely to be £40-£60 a week in the winter if I want to keep warm. Don't want another Winter like the last one so a Stove makes sense in the long run esp as for smokeless fuel there are a lot of brands and types. Anthracite burns the hottest. 

FreeBear

[Deleted User] said: "A modern day log burner will use an average of 3.5 cubic metres of wood, if used during the evenings and weekends from October to April."

Is that 3.5m³ loose or stacked ?

I have a 6x10 ft shed stacked full to the roof, and use most of it over a winter. That includes supplementing the wood with smokeless coal (7x25Kg bags last winter). Did try anthracite, but ended up returning the bags I didn't use - The stuff was a pig to get burning, and then it wouldn't stay alight. Went back to Taybrite... But at the price the stuff is this year, I haven't ordered any more.

As for the cost of the firewood, I get a large load of unseasoned logs from various sources - These then need to be cut, split, and stacked for a year or two before moving in to the wood shed early spring. If I had to buy ready seasoned logs to fill the shed, it would be over £1,400 (based on a crate of Ash from White Horse).

Do not under-estimate just how much wood you can get through in a winter. If you have a shed full of poplar or willow, it won't last long. The same volume of oak could last two winters.

Gracieacey

I buy my wood and it's £135 per square metre, I buy 3 so that's £405 and a chimney sweep costs £50. It was £2065 to have it installed. The gas and electric combined payment is £305 per month.....

mumf

it’s an interesting situation. We have had 2x multifuel burners for a quarter century easily. Wood we have rarely purchased in that time. All of the wood for the next two Winters is for free. However ,we burn coal too. Of course,now it’s smokeless- and rather efficient too. Frankly ,it’s our main heating. We are tough X - Generation! 

  Beyond that we are all electric. Heating of which we used when needed. We don’t slow down the use of washing machine,drier, water heating etc. 

The cost of installing one I can’t tell you. Nor sweeping. I do my own and always have . However,the coal we use is an average of £80 a month and is already stocked. Paid. The electric is generally about £130 per month. 

henry24

I live in a 3 bed bungalow of about 1200 square feet,my gas and electric cost around £50 a month I then have a multi fuel stove that provides 99% of my heating my coal this year was £32 for 50kg and I had 600 so £384 and then I also bought logs for £210 which filled a 6x4 shed this will keep us warm all winter 

subjecttocontract

I think this thread is very complex. Clearly there are people posting who have no experience of wood burners.
* Wood burners come in different sizes.
* Different installations.
* Wood or multi burner.
* Large ones that heat the whole house/water or smaller single room heaters.
* Heaters used as only heat source or as supplemental heaters.
* Some people buy wood others forage for it or get it for free etc etc.

henry24

Your last point about people foraging for wood is something I don't understand as I can't see how they ever get enough to heat a home 

subjecttocontract

We back onto woodland have never purchased any wood as we have always collected it from there.

So it also depends on how much wood is needed. Someone who lights their fire 3 days a week in the evening only won't need as much as someone who uses theirs twice as many days for longer periods of the day. 

henry24

I often have the fire going for 3 weeks without it ever going out 

subjecttocontract

Yes, my point exactly.
The original question is virtually impossible to answer because we all use our wood burners differently.