How much are energy prices likely to rise this winter?

The energy price cap is currently £1,971 and with a further predicted increase of up to 80% due this October and perhaps even more in the New Year, these are unprecedented times.

Not only is it now the time to seriously start to look at ways to reduce those rising bills, but also to reduce reliance on the supply of gas and power through our national grids. Fuel security is becoming ever more relevant.

So, here are some of our tips for saving money this winter:

BUY IN BULK

Buying our large (1.6m3) bulk bag of kiln dried logs over the much smaller 0.8m3 bulk bag will reduce your cost by as much as £46 per m3. Buying in the bulk bags rather than the small bags also saves money and of course packaging.

But this doesn't just apply to logs, but also our kindling & firelighters too! If you buy our 8 box of kindling bundle, you'll save 79p a box!  Our Flamers natural firelighters can be bought in larger quantities too. Just by buying the 200 box, against the 24 box you will save 7.5p per firelighter.

Plus you can currently save even more by shopping in our 10% off sale until midnight 4th September. 

ENSURE YOUR STOVE IS RUNNING EFFICIENTLY

If you have an older stove and cannot afford to upgrade just at the moment, make sure your stove is serviced by an appropriately qualified competent person such as one who is HETAS or OFTEC approved. You may have never even considered this but it may well be letting in too much air and not providing an efficient burn – this leads to less heat and probably means you will use more wood than you need.

KEEP THE CHIMNEY SWEPT

There are several reasons for keeping your chimney or flue clean. A clean chimney not only ensures maximum draw for your fire and therefore efficient combustion in the chamber, but it prevents the build up of soot and ultimately tar which of course can lead to chimney fires. 

USE THE CORRECT FUEL

If you are able to, seasoning your own firewood can be a great way to save, especially if you have your own woodland! However, wet wood must be dried to below 20% moisture content before burning and to be done properly, this could take 2-3 years – anything over 20% and it’s just false economy as you will burn far more wood for the same heat. 

If you are buying your firewood and do not have the space to store and ‘season’ your own, look for suppliers that carry the Woodsure Ready to Burn certification. This guarantees the wood to be dried to below 20% and of the correct quality.

For 6 more tips on how you might be able to save money on home heating this winter, read the rest of our blog over on our website.