Wood Burning Stoves – The Greener Choice

According to The One Show’s ‘green expert’ Lucy Siegle, wood burning stoves could be the best way to heat your house.

Green Goddess Siegle, who also writes advice in The Guardian on choosing a greener way of living, has said that wood burning stoves are in fact a low-carbon renewable solution to heating our homes. So did our Victorian ancestors in fact have it right?

Wood Burning Stoves: Go Green

Siegle states that wood burning stoves are a more efficient alternative to open fires. Open fires have seen a revival in popularity thanks to the unbeatable character, warmth and atmosphere they offer. Siegle reports that wood burning stove sales went up by 40% last year as more homeowners are seduced by their look and warmth as well as their greener, cheaper qualities. New wood burning stoves are said to operate at 75% efficiency as opposed to open fires which are between 10 to 20% efficiency. This translates at around four logs for every one, making wood burning stoves cheaper to run as well as better for the environment. Fans of wood burning stoves are quick to point out that wood is also a much cleaner fuel than coal or oil – better for those dwelling in the home – as wood emits no sulphur dioxide and the heat destroys dioxins.

The Carbon Debate

Lucy Siegle also refers to a major study that backs wood burning stoves as the more environmentally-friendly choice. The study was undertaken in Australia in 2003 to research greenhouse gas emissions from domestic wood heating. The findings revealed that wood burning produced 10 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions per unit than any other fuel source. Burning locally sourced wood is also another way to improve your carbon neutrality ratings; trees absorb carbon when alive, when they die and rot they release that CO2 - burning a locally sourced tree releases a smaller amount of carbon than that absorbed in the tree’s lifetime.

A Focal Point

One of the main attractions of a wood burning stove however for homeowners is the irreplaceable affect a real fire has in a home, adding smell, colour and sound awakening the senses and acting as a beautiful and cosy focal point in any home.

Wood Burning Stoves from QualityStoves.co.uk

If you’re looking for wood burning stoves, QualityStoves.co.uk is a leading supplier offering a fantastic range of high quality wood burning stoves, range cookers, electrical stoves and more! Have a query? Call 01422 883196.