How much does it cost to run a log burner?

In the UK, some one million households enjoy getting lost in front of a log burner – but it comes at a cost.

The Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) estimates that a wood-burning stove uses about five logs to heat, compared to an open fire which uses 16.

This saving will further increase as fuel prices continue to rise, it adds. 

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that a log burner won’t heat your entire home so it can’t be considered a direct comparison. 

A log burner will, however, soon heat up the room it sits in and the residual heat will spread to other rooms too. 

When working out costings, you need to look at the price of wood. 

According to the SIA, the cost of burning kiln-dried logs is between £150 to £190 per cubic meter (loose fill).

The average modern wood-burning stove will use around 3.5 cubic metres (m3) of logs in a typical heating season if you have the burner on at evenings and weekends. 

Therefore, based on annual wood log usage of between 3-4 cubic meters, the total cost would be approximately £600 to £700 a year.