Sales of wood burners rise as people battle increased energy bills

Sales of wood-burning stoves have increased 60% compared to last year, a retailer from Bristol said

People are increasingly turning to wood burners to keep warm as energy prices soar, retailers have said.

Nick Miller, from Horfield in Bristol, has a wood burner in his house which he said he was using as an alternative to putting the central heating on.

He said: "It's more sensible to heat a room than heat six that no-one is in."

Liz Truss' Energy Price Guarantee means a typical household can expect to pay double the amount they paid a year ago, with an average bill of about £2,500.

Nick Miller said heating just one room had brought his family together

"The temperature dropped last night and we spent the evening all in the living room, like the olden days, the fire went on for a few hours," said Mr Miller.

"We were all in here with some of the children doing homework and some getting ready for work the next day."

Bills are not the only issue households might have to contend with.

National Grid recently warned British households could lose power for up to three hours at a time during winter if gas supplies run extremely low, although it said that was an "unlikely scenario".

Sales of wood-burning stoves have increased 60% compared to last year, Martyn Roberts from Period Fireplaces in Bristol said.

"What people are doing is giving themselves a back-up plan," he added.

Martyn Roberts from Period Fireplaces says people are buying stoves as a "back-up plan"

Mr Roberts, 59, said bio fuels and pellet burners were also in high demand.

Ben the Sweep, from Bristol, said he was one of many chimney sweeps experiencing an increase in demand for his services.

"Normally around this year I am booked up about a month in advance, but this year I'm booked up until December currently, so an extra month ahead.

"Who would have thought a wood burner would be the cheapest way to heat your home this is year? It's an usual situation."

Labour MP for South West Bristol, Darren Jones MP, said he was worried about people turning to logs burners "both for air quality and climate purposes".

"This is an example of where the government needs to step in to help people do the right thing in a way that is affordable," he said.

Owners of wood burners, stoves and open fires will no longer be able to buy house coal or wet wood, under a ban to be rolled out from next year.

Sales of the two most polluting fuels will be phased out in England to help cut air pollution, the government says.

Safety risks of open fires

Vaughan Jenkins, from Avon Fire and Rescue Service, warned about the safety risks of wood burners and open fires.

"People need to make sure their chimneys are clean and we would urge people if they haven't had their chimneys cleaned this year, to have it cleaned to ensure that they are in good working order," he said.

Wheat bags, which people use to keep warm, can overheat and catch fire if left in a microwave for too long

"People will do what they can to keep warm and we're well aware as a service... but people will be using electric heaters to keep warm through the winter months.

"We urge people to ensure that those are in good working order and they've been serviced regularly because they can cause an issue if they're not functioning properly."

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