With the rising cost of gas, heating oil, electricity and more, it can sometimes be difficult to pay the bills. So how can you keep warm without breaking the bank, whilst minimising your impact on the environment? Discover 7 good reasons to heat your home with wood.
It’s true that this issue may seem complicated at the moment. For the past two months, we’ve been hearing about rising gas and electricity prices, and the ban on installing oil-fired boilers … So what should we do?
Of all the heating solutions available today, there is one that is universally popular: wood-fired heating
Indeed, being economical, environmentally friendly and, nowadays, highly efficient, wood-burning stoves have become a staple in our homes. But why exactly is wood-burning heating so essential? Here are 10 good reasons to heat your home with wood.
Reason 1: the cheapest heating method on the market
Today, wood is the cheapest fuel on the market. In fact, wood is half the price of gas and a quarter of the price of electricity. What’s more, low-income families can now pay for wood using energy vouchers. Finally, the price of wood is currently not subject to any market fluctuations. For all these reasons, wood-fired heating is now the cheapest heating system on the market.
For reference, the cost of wood-fired heating per kWh compared with other heating sources:
- Firewood: 4 cents per kWh
- Pellets: 7 pence per kWh
- Fuel oil: 8 pence per kWh
- Gas: 8 pence per kWh
- Electricity: 17 pence per kWh
Source : 60 millions de consommateurs
Reason 2: Wood-fired heating is environmentally friendly
The issue of so-called ‘clean’, environmentally friendly heating is becoming increasingly prominent. Yet despite common misconceptions, wood-fired heating is environmentally friendly, and for several reasons:
- Wood is now a renewable energy source, just like solar energy. French forests continue to grow through natural expansion at an average rate of 80,000 hectares per year. This expansion is equivalent to 3.5 times the size of the Forest of Fontainebleau.
- Most of the timber you buy today comes either from France or from Europe, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions associated with freight transport.
- Finally, wood is carbon-neutral: it releases as much CO₂ when burned as it absorbed before being felled.
Reason 3: Financial assistance for wood-fired heating
In fact, because wood-fired heating is a renewable energy source, there are now numerous government grants available to help you invest in a wood-fired heating system.
For example, there is the MaPrimeRenov’ scheme, which offers up to €3,000 towards the installation of a wood-fired heating system.
In addition, there are various incentives available, such as the Air Bois grants, a reduced VAT rate and a zero-interest ECO-LOAN. Thanks to all these incentives, wood-fired heating has become a real must-have in our homes and is now one of the most economical heating systems available.
Reason 4: an efficient heating system
Manufacturers of wood-burning heating systems have really focused on improving the performance of their stoves, whether in terms of efficiency or CO₂ emissions from combustion.
In fact, modern stoves now offer increasingly high combustion efficiencies, with masonry stoves achieving up to 93% efficiency.
Reason 5: Wood-burning heating – a treat for the eyes
One of the advantages of wood-burning heating is the sheer pleasure it brings. Indeed, there is nothing more enjoyable than sitting by the fire and feeling the warmth of the flames.
Wood-burning heating has always been synonymous with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and a cosy family home, and no other heating system can claim the same.
Reason 6: A wide variety of wood-burning heating systems
Wood-fired heating has come a long way, meaning you can now find the right system to suit your needs.
In fact, there are now many different options available, whether in terms of fuel: logs, pellets, wood chips, densified logs, and so on…
De plus, le système de combustion et la répartition de la chaleur dans l’habitation a elle aussi beaucoup progressé. On retrouve aujourd’hui différents systèmes tels que :
- a convection and storage stove designed to heat a medium-sized space using a minimum of energy
- a ducted stove capable of heating an entire house
- a natural convection stove designed to heat small spaces quickly
- The ventilated stove, meanwhile, can heat an average-sized room and allows you to choose the direction of the heat
- wood-fired boilers for heating your hot water tank
- a storage stove that releases heat gradually
Reason 7: Unrivalled design
Finally, stove manufacturers have made significant progress in recent years, particularly in terms of the design and styling of wood-burning heating systems.
In fact, we stock every type of pan imaginable – round, square, built-in, steel, cast iron, ceramic… you’re bound to find the perfect pan for you!