Prior to fitting the stove, we burned over 1,500 litres of oil per year for heating. This produced approximately 4440kg of CO2.
The house is a 4-bed refurbed mid-sixties bungalow in the East of England. The living space is open plan with separate but open kitchen and dining areas which are essentially part of the main space. Short corridors lead to the other rooms.
Approximately 2.96kg of CO2 is released for every litre of oil used (this figure includes emissions generated during extraction and transport). Burning 1,500 litres of oil per year releases 4,440kg of CO2. So, over the last 11 years, using wood to heat our home instead of oil has saved almost 50,000kg of CO2 (4,440kg x 11years). If the heating had been mains gas instead of oil, the CO2 saving would have been around 40,500kg
In line with international accounting practice, UK governments classify the burning of wood fuel as ‘net zero carbon emissions at the point of use’ and wood fuel is classified as ‘out of scope’ for companies reporting their CO2 emissions (further information here).This is because the carbon in wood fuel is what is known as biogenic. This biogenic carbon constantly circulates in our environment from trees and plants and animals to soil, air and water and back again. Biogenic carbon should not be confused with fossil carbon which was locked up millions of years ago in oil, gas and coal.
Our logs are sourced very locally and CO2 emissions from processing are virtually zero (a bit of petrol for the chainsaw). About two thirds of it is free of charge and although it needs cutting and splitting, there is a significant cost saving over buying heating oil. For people buying logs commercially, there is a CO2 component from transport and processing, but this is tiny compared to emissions from oil or gas.
The woodburning stove itself is an efficient modern appliance rated 6.5kw. It’s clean burning with minimal particulate emissions. We understand that the way we operate our stove makes a difference to these emissions and found excellent advice on this on the Burnright website. Throughout the heating season we use it daily, sometimes lit as early as 7am and the last fuel added late evening. We use between 8 and 10 cubic meters of logs per year depending how cold the winter is. We burn fairly hot for maximum efficiency. If it’s a sunny day with light winds, the space can get quite warm so we may let it die down or even go out for a while before re-lighting it later. It’s interesting to see how much faster the log basket empties on colder cloudy days or on cold days with a strong wind. Also, the reduction in log consumption between the beginning and the end of March is always striking – sometimes almost half. The increasing intensity of the sun at this time of year is reflected in how long a basket of logs lasts. I guess people living further north or in a less sunny area may not notice this until April or even May. Since fitting a Recoheat heat recovery device last summer, we use 10 – 15% less fuel for the same heat.
All in all, a modern woodburning stove is a great heating option for people who are able. We make considerable cost savings over other fuels but for us, the main benefits come from using a zero-carbon fuel which relieves pressure on other fuel sources and is independent of any grid. The comfort and well-being associated with running a woodburning stove is also important for us – everyone with a stove knows these deeper feelings of satisfaction.
Lawson Wight, Cambridgeshire
