Domestic heating accounts for a large proportion of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. Heating with wood fuel is one of a raft of solutions which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to heating with fossil fuels or heating with non renewable electricity wood fuel is a clear winner. Compare the emissions figure for non renewable electricity which is 0.46 kg CO2 / kWh, mains gas at 0.216, with the figure for wood fuel which is less than 0.00612 kg CO2 / kWh.

These emissions are down to the processing and transport of the fuel. Trees need to be felled and cut, logs need to be split and everything needs to be transported from forest to stove. This is all usually done using energy from fossil fuels, either diesel, petrol, or electricity, and this is why there are any emissions at all.

The forestry commission is working on increasing production of wood fuel and aim to bring 2 million tonnes to the market yearly by 2020. Wood is not a viable heating option for everyone in the country as there is simply not enough, but wood heating is a viable option for many. This is especially the case if we all were to have well insulated houses that require only minimal heating. This is not because heating with wood is limited to low outputs, that is not the case at all, but it is always better to use the least resources possible. Switching to a low carbon heating source is all very well, but if your house is not well insulated you will just be wasting time and resources.

So what are your wood heating options?

For a start forget about fireplaces. Fireplaces are very inefficient and require huge amounts of air which is generally drawn from outside (where it is cold) into your house (which you are trying to heat). A stove is the way to go and there are various types available.

1 - Wood burning stoves

There are many wood burning stoves on the market many of which can come with backboilers to provide hot water and heating. It is relatively easy to plumb such a stove in to your existing heating system as long as you have a vented system. This is where a decent heat accumulator tank comes into it's own. A heat accumulator tank lets you store the heat from your wood stove and use it when you want to. It also allows you to combine heat sources such as a wood stove with a backboiler as and solar – this is a popular combination.

Wood stoves generally look good and are something which adds a valued feature to your home as well as lowering your carbon emissions. There are many styles available and prices range from around £300 to £1500. You have to bear in mind that the materials and installation can often cost as much if not more than the stove itself, so budget for around £1000 to £3000 for everything.

Modern wood stoves tend to be cleanburning which means that a secondary or even tertiary supply of air is introduced to the firebox. This allows unburnt gases to burn giving more complete combustion. This increases the efficiency of the stove.

Most stoves also have airwash which is where air is passed over the window of the stove to keep it clear of deposits and tar build up.

It is always a good idea to ask an expert in the field for advice on which stove would best suit your needs. You can find (and leave) independent uk stove reviews on http://www.whatstove.co.uk

A lot of help, advice and useful information is available free from us (Stovesonline) here: http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_help_and_advice.html

We also carry a searchable national database of firewood, and wood pellet suppliers. 

If you want a heat accumulator tank then it is worth contacting Dedicated Pressure Systems – http://www.heatweb.com.

2 – Gasification boilers

These are not really pretty and would normally sit in a utility room or garage. These boilers are large and are more automated than a wood stove. A gasification boiler would normally work in conjunction with a heat accumulator tank, storing the heat from the wood for later use. Often wood chips can be burnt which are very cheap compared to other fuels, but have a high moisture content making them unsuited to burning on wood stoves (plus the chips do not tend to burn well on a wood stove anyway even if they were dry).

Some have the option of connection to a large fuel store which then auger feeds fuel into the stove to give you very automated burning.

Gasification boilers are relatively expensive starting at roughly £4000 - £10,000 +.

Dunster Woodfuels are a provider of gasification boilers in the South West - http://www.dunsterwoodfuels.co.uk

3 – Pellet stoves

Quite a recent technology in the UK, pellet stoves are much more like gas boilers. You can set them to come on or off and most feed themselves pellets as needed from a fuel hopper. Because the technology is recent make sure that you can get technical backup, spares, and that there are trained technicians available before going ahead with a pellet stove. That said they can be a very convenient way to heat your house with wood fuel, especially if you are not inclined to be filling a wood stove up with wood all the time.

Pellet stoves are a little more expensive than wood stoves and the price ranges are around £1500 to £4000 and upwards depending on the size of stove.

Stoves in smoke control areas

Most towns are smoke control areas. If you do decide to switch to wood heating make sure that you do not live in a smoke control area by visiting this website: http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk

If you do live in a smoke control area then there are a variety of stoves available which are approved for wood burning in smokeless zones, notably the Dunsley Yorkshire which is one of the only wood stoves with a large backboiler that is approved. More of these stoves are listed on this website: http://www.smokecontrolareas.co.uk

and there is also an Ecotivity article to be found here: http://www.ecotivity.com/wood-burning-stoves-in-smokeless-zones