Could you save with a wood-burner?

This article in the Saturday Telegraph earlier this month investigates the claim that a wood-burning stove could save the average household £300 a year.

Can a wood-burning stove cut the average household's heating bill by £300 or more per year?  This was the controversial claim made this week by wood-burning stove manufacturer Chesney's.  
The claim was based on the calculation that burning wood pellets costs 4p per kWh, while using gas will cost 6p per kWh - after the recently announced price increases take effect from mid-November.

The comparison covers pellets rather than logs.  The cost for logs can vary from nothing - if you have your own supply - to more than £100 per cubic metre of seasoned hardwood logs.  It costs less if you have the space to store logs that need drying for a year or two. 

Using that £300 claim on the figures for wood pellets, it is possible to draw on industry data.

The average household gas consumption was guessed to be 16,500 kWh a year, which would cost £990, based on the price of 6p per kWh.  It calculated the equivalent cost to generate the same heat from wood pellets would be £660.

In reality the differences are less clear-cut - and there is debate either way, with a recent poll showing that only 45% saying they believed a wood-burner would save money.  Many said they wanted a stove primarily for the look and comfort feel.

Ofgem recently revised down its estimates of how much energy an average domestic consumer uses, which means average annual gas consumption now stands at 15,300 kWh, according to official figures.  Worked on this basis, the savings would be lower than the claims given above.  And gas, even after price increases, might be cheaper than the 6p figure.  Apparently the average cost of gas after this autumns round of price rises, is more like 5p per kWh.

These figures would result in a saving of more like £95 per year, which ties in with figures from the Energy Saving Trust. 

However, the 3.6 million households in Britain that are not connected to the gas grid would be likely to save far more than these figures.  The savings for those in electric-heated homes would be something over £600 per year.

Homes off the gas grid can apply for a £2,000 grant to install biomass boilers, which burn wood, under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme*.

How much does a wood-burner cost?  The installation cost of wood-fuelled heating starts at around £2,000 for a log stove, while a pellet stove typically costs around £4,300. Models that burn more efficiently - producing more heat and less smoke and ash - are dearer.  Installation costs can be significantly higher where chimneys need clearing or lining.

But the main consideration for many households considering wood-fuelled heating is the space to store the material.  Often people who have the space to store wood are in rural areas, which are off the gas grid anyway.  

Urban houses and flats are usually ruled out for this reason.



* Wood-fuelled heating systems, technically known as biomass systems,a re eligible for support under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP), which offers a one-off grant towards the costs of installing renewable technologies until the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is introduced for households next year.  Biomass boilers qualify for a £2,00 payment.

The RHI will launch in spring 2014 and will pay households for the renewable heat their system generates.

The scheme applies to air-source heat pumps, biomass systems, ground source heat pumps and solar thermal technologies, with tariffs varying according to the technology used.
The Energy Saving Trust calculates homes that install a biomass boiler could earn £1,600 a year through the scheme and the tariff is paid for seven years.

It is open to households that installed eligible renewable heat technology since 15 July 2009 (new build properties other than self-build do not qualify).

Further information can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website (http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/est/search?SearchText=rhi)and details on how to apply will be provided by energy watchdog Ofgem.

On a personal note: we've had a wood-burner for the past seven years.  We find it very useful especially at this time of year, when we need heat in the living room but not necessarily anywhere else in the house.  

Although it takes a while to warm up our big room it produces a different sort of heat compared with central heating radiators.  The heat seems to be absorbed into all the fabric of the building and the furniture, so the heat is very even throughout the room. 

However, the cost doesn't enter this equation as we have never had to resort to actually paying for any wood and the stove was here when we moved in.  

We've burned our old window frames, small trees cut down in the garden, our old fences, bread board, and any offcuts of wood we see lying around.  We stack the wood underneath the decking for a year or so, before chopping it into suitable sized pieces and storing it in our (large) workshop.

What hasn't been mentioned here is the work involved in getting the fire going and keeping it fed.  On a quiet day it's quite cathartic but on a busy day we often forget about the poor stove and come across it later with a small amount of cooling ash residing in the bottom of the stove.

However, we enjoyed the fire when we had visitors as it looks and feels rather cosy.  Perhaps it's part of the appeal of anything retro, harking back to a less complicated time when people sat in the front of the fire 'of an evening' to wind down.

And here are some comments from other users:

• As they say here in France: using wood for heating actually warms you three times - cutting down the trees, moving the wood to the house, and cutting and stacking the logs.  Keeps you fit and active into old age.
• I sell wood burners.  The cost of wood has gone up in the UK and the cost of installation can be a lot, if you have access to free wood and can swallow the initial investment, they are worth it ... if not, the economic benefits are fairly marginal to be  honest.
• It can be done, it is MUCH cheaper than oil or electricity.
• Wood stoves look lovely on 'Escape to the Country' but they're messy and hard work, although wood pellets help a good deal with the work and mess.
• One point that has been made repeatedly is about using the right type of wood (hardwood) and making sure it is properly seasoned.  This is where wood burning stoves are getting a bad name.  Many people, particularly if they are doing it on the basis of trying to save money, will burn anything, and are not prepared to pay the cost of properly seasoned, or kiln dried wood, and do not store it properly.
• I have had great experience of wood-burning stoves and can tell you that if you don't have access to your own supply you will end of paying through the nose.
• The best thing we ever did was put a log burner in the snug area of our large kitchen.  It gives out far more heat and warmth than the radiators ever could.  We do get through some logs (about 4 tons/year), but what we spend on logs is a lot less than the equivalent in an oil tank fill.

What about one of these?!: 

http://www.vam.ac.uk/users/node/4332

Insurer assumptions leave holes that you can exploit

Here are some ideas to reduce your premiums by learning the prejudices used in the insurance industry*

If you want to cut the cost of your insurance, it can help to know the assumptions insurers used when setting premiums.

Insurance companies now analyse huge volumes of data to spot which customers are most likely to claim on a policy.  But this number-crunching can throw up some unexpected results. Here are some of the more unusual quirks, and explain how you can use them to your advantage.

There's no such things as a 'no-fault' claim

If you make a claim on your car insurance, expect to see next year's premium rise - even if you weren't to blame for the incident.  When settling a claim insurers will deem one side 'at fault' and therefore liable for costs. But the reality is both drivers will be rated higher risk in future.  (rather tough for someone like me who had her car driven into when stationary in a car park!)

Research by the AA found more than a third of insurers will raise premiums after one 'non-fault' claim, with 5% raising  premiums by 30%.  If you have two non-fault accidents the majority of insurers will push premiums up by between 10% and 50% (sounds like any excuse to me!), with one insurer adding 300% 'loadings'.

It's startling to find that some insurers are prepared to apply such high loadings.  The AA applies no premium increase after one non-fault accident, and 8% after two.  There is statistical evidence that shows those who have suffered a no-fault accident are more likely to go on to make a fault claim.   This may be because poor driving habits can contribute to a non-fault accident.

If you've had a no-fault claim, make sure you shop around as not all insurers raise prices (and some will for certain risks, but not others).  If you're involved in a second, or third incident, it may be cheaper to pay for minor repairs yourself, rather than pay the higher cost of insurance.

Add an extra driver and cut insurance bills


Insurers assume those who are married or in a long-term relationship are safer drivers - perhaps because they are more likely to be curled up on the sofa watching tv at night, rather than haring around in a car.

As a result, a driver with a 'joint' car insurance policy will pay around £100 less than a single person of the same age.

But you don't have to tie the knot to make the most of this quirk.  If  you are in a relationship, but drive your own car, put  your partner down as a 'named driver'.  Even 'naming' a close friend, or parent can reduce costs, provided they don't have previous driving convictions.

Apparently a single person in their 30s pays an average of £430 for car insurance; while a driver who has a named partner on the policy pays an average of £316.  For those in their 40s, the price falls from £320 to £228, while those in their 50s and early 60s will see prices fall from £250 to £177.

You don't need to be living at the same address to benefit, although if you are this is likely to be a more significant saving.

Beware:  when I wanted to add my (teenage) daughter to my car insurance, it was then deemed that I would be using my husband's car and that my daughter would then be the main user for my car.  So the premiums shot up, despite me telling the insurance company that my husband worked away so in fact there was no way I could share a car with him for most of the time!

'Fully comprehensive' cheaper than third party cover

This is another example of how you can pay less for more cover, although this wrinkle only applies to younger drivers.

Fully comp insurance covers both your own car, and the cost of damage to another.  But third party cover only applies to damage to other vehicles (and people).  Surprisingly, it is the more expensive option for drivers under 40.


Many of those with lower value vehicles opt for third party cover as it used to be cheaper.  As a result the number of claims on these types of policies rose.  Insurers now take the view that drivers opting for these policies are a greater risk.  In other words, premiums are higher because insurers assume drivers opting for third party cover are more inexperienced and reckless.

Far more insurers offer comprehensive cover, so this is a more competitive market.  Only about 10% of the policies sold are for third party cover, and most of these are to younger drivers, so it is not hard to see why this has become a more expensive option.

Figures show that a 20-year-old man can save an average of £326 a year by opting for 'fully comp' cover, but by the age of 25 the saving is just £49 a year.  Motorists aged 40 or over pay on average the same, regardless of the policy type.Make use of this quirk while you can.  If all younger drivers opted for fully comp cover, this differential would no longer exist - and the cost of fully comp cover for this age group will increase.


Worldwide travel cover that isn't global

Thanks to a 40-year-old trade embargo, American insurers assume you won't be going to Cuba for your holidays, as they can't legally cover you for travel to the island.

This also affects UK holidaymakers who have 'worldwide' travel insurance with certain companies which are underwritten by AIG, a US company which enforces the ban.

The exclusion is clearly stated in the policy documents, but could be overlooked by those who have annual policies, or insurance that's part of a packaged bank a/c or credit card deal.  

Hidden cost of spreading insurance payments

It's known that insurers charge interest if you opt to pay premiums monthly, rather than in one payment.  But did you know insurers will charge higher interest payments to those deemed more risky drivers? Research found that the APR charged to customers varied if they changed their job, their address, or the type of car insured.  These interest rates vary from 20% to more than 40%.  

Become a safer driver can push up your premiums

Penalty points on your licence, for speeding or other driving offences, push up your car insurance premiums significantly.  But those who opt instead to attend a 'speed awareness course', designed to make you a more responsible drive, can also face an increase.

Apparently there is statistical evidence that those attending these courses were more likely to claim on their insurance in future.  There's no central database of which drivers have attended such courses, but if the insurer asks you have to give an honest answer, otherwise you could invalidate your insurance. Not all insurers ask, so if you've attended a course do shop around for cover, as it's still better than accepting the points.

* From an article in the Daily Telegraph

Now that it's more than half way through November it's time to start thinking about Christmas, so here are some craft projects to get us into the mood

Firstly here are some crocheted stars which come courtesy of the excellent blog Attic 24 from up in the north of England:
(http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-snowflake.html).  These stars can be made in any size using suitable yarn, so can made with any leftovers from other projects.

Here's a Christmas holly place mat - or the holly part could be made separately as a decoration in its own right.  The pattern can be downloaded from this site: http://www.freecraftunlimited.com/crochet-christmas-holly-placemat.html



If a Christmas tree bauble's more  your style, here's a straightforward pattern:  http://kraftyzales.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/how-to-crochet-christmas-tree-bauble.html

Or even a seasonal tea cosy.  Talking of which, did you know that, if left alone in a room with a tea cosy, 85% of men will try it on his head?!  I think any man will look very fetching in this number! (http://www.craftjuice.com/story.php?title=2_Cup_Crochet_Christmas_Pudding_Tea_Cosy_by_andrealesleycrochet):


And finally Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a poinsettia, so here's a perpetual one, again from the site Craft Unlimited: http://www.freecraftunlimited.com/crochet-pointsettia-flower.html:

This blog's been rather neglected in the past few weeks due to house selling and purchasing but I couldn't resist reproducing an article in the Telegraph yesterday by Simon Williams.  Advice for all budding thespians:

It's not only Poirot who uses a little trickery

All actors need help from props - some rather surprising - to slip into character.

In drama schools up and down the country, student actors are learning about motivation and characterisation.  They spend long hours 'being' a tree or a lemur.  They research and write back-stories for their roles.

But out in the jungle we call show business (actually nobody calls it show business) all we really need is a few tricks - like the one David Suchet deployed, when he mastered Hercule Poirot's distinctive walk by clenching a penny between his buttocks (a technique gleaned from Laurence Olivier).

the luscious Gregory Peck

Watch Gregory Peck as he enters a scene.  He looks down then he looks up as if deep in thought - he is in fact checking his marks on the floor and his key lights above the camera.  Spencer Tracy's advice was never to let the camera catch you not thinking (no matter what).  Doing nothing is one of the subtlest skills in the actor's tool kit, or, as an exasperated director shouted at a movie rookie: 'Don't just do something - stand there.'

Quick-witted actors who forgot their lines in the days of live TV quickly learnt just to keep moving their lips, so that the viewers would think the sound had gone and thump their sets.  An old Shakespearian actor told me he always carried a purse on stage, so that when he forgot his lines he'd throw it on the floor, declaiming: 'Prithee take my purse, find lodgings and meet me anon!' With that, he'd leave the stage for a quick glance at his script.

Omar Sharif

A good actor is a magpie who steals bits and pieces from anyone he meets.  Preparation is sometimes no more than theft.  Famously, Alex Guinness warmly welcomed Omar Sharif when he joined the cast of Lawrence of Arabia and talked to him at length.  The following day, Guinness as Prince Faisal was using all Omar's vocal intonations.

In rehearsal for the National Theatre's Wind in the Willows in 1990, the cast diligently studied their respective animals.  Michael Bryant (Badger) wasn't having it: when asked what he had learnt about badgers for his role, he answered that he had discovered that they moved exactly like Michael Bryant.  

When I did No Sex Please, We're British, with Michael Crawford, I asked him how he'd come by his brilliant performance and he revealed that it was based on observation of his daughters when telling fibs.

Glenda Jackson revealed to reporters that in preparing for a laughing scene, she just thought of her sex life: 'And for crying?' they asked.  'I think of my sex life,' replied Glenda.

During lengthy rehearsals in an experimental Oedipus the King, the director urged the cast to think of the single most terrifying thing they could imagine.  Each in turn shared their moment of horror.   But when it came to John Gielgud, he said simply:  'we open the day after tomorrow.'

Props or accessories can be a useful way to get into a character.  I was once having trouble finding a nervous trait for a part I was playing.  Before the first night I found the director in my dressing room tampering with my prop spectacles.  When I put them on, I found that they kept slipping down my nose and I had constantly to push them back - it was the very mannerism my character needed.

It's a fact that lots of actors' preferred preparation is visiting the pub.  I've always liked the story of the drunken old player who went to a matinee and took a seat in the stalls.  After ten minutes, he announced in a loud voice: ' This is a good bit: this is where I come on.'  Robert Newton notoriously eschewed sobriety on the film set, so much so that they had to hide his whisky from him - he responded by starting a striptease.  By the time he got to his underpants, the director had to relent.

Drunk or not, actors can mislay key props - and it's vital to be able to carry on regardless.  A young man who was supposed to stab Lionel Barrymore with a sword forgot to bring on his weapon one night, so he improvised and kicked him in the leg.  Barrymore fell to the ground muttering:  'what am I supposed to do now - starve to death?'

The comic actor Ralph Lynn was a past master of managing disaster during a live performance: on one occasion when a cast member failed to appear and he had to fill in, he sauntered to the telephone and dialled the switchboard: 'Hello operator,' he said.  'Tell me a little about yourself ...'

Perhaps the most important knack is the ability to cope with indignities.  A sad story (probably apocryphal) is told of an actor forced to accept a gig deputising for the gorilla in the zoo.  After lengthy preparation, he put on the costume and took his place in the cage.  Soon his confidence grew and in no time he was swinging from branch to branch , thoroughly in character - too much so, for he fell over the dividing wall into the adjoining cage, where a fearsome tiger advanced growling towards him.  'Oh lord, I'm done for,' he groaned.  In a whisper the tiger replied: 'Shut up, or we'll be both be out of a job.'