LOG BURNERS VS GAS FIRES
Log burner vs gas fire – what’s hot and what’s not? Nothing quite creates the same beautiful ambience as a live burning fire. But just how efficient is a live fire when compared to a gas fire? It is important to consider which type of fire is best for your home. If you are planning on getting a new fire in your home, there are some factors that you should take into account.
Gas is the cheapest type of energy for a fire, so a gas fire could help to reduce your running costs and lower your energy bills. Despite the beautiful aesthetics of a log burner, when it is compared with a gas fire, it can be a very poor performer when it comes to energy efficiency. Log-burning fires are also often more expensive to install than a gas fire.
The overall cost of running a gas fire or log burner will vary and can depend on how much you plan to use the fire. If you are planning on heating your home quite often over the winter months and if you’re planning on having the fire on for a long time, then a wood burner could end up saving you money in the long run, as wood burns for much longer than gas.
Below, heating expert Matthew Jenkins at MyJobQuote.co.uk will go over some of the differences between log burners and wood fires. We will also go over some information on each fire option to help you decide which is the best option for you.
Efficiency Comparison: Log Burners vs Gas Fires
Modern log burners have improved significantly. Many closed wood-burning stoves now reach around 70 – 85% efficiency when burning well-seasoned wood. By contrast, traditional open fireplaces can be a lot less efficient as a lot of the heat is lost up the chimney.
The efficiency of a log burner depends on the moisture content and the type of wood, how well the stove is maintained, the design of the flue, and whether the room is properly insulated and sealed.
Gas-fired fireplaces can be very efficient, especially modern inset or balanced-flue models. These can reach efficiencies of around 90% or higher in many cases. Gas fires offer quick, controllable heat and minimal fuel handling. So in terms of raw efficiency, a good gas fire will often outperform a log burner, especially when the burner is not used optimally.
Environmental Impact and Secondary Efficiency Factors
Efficiency isn’t just about the appliance itself. The fuel source, emissions and usage matter too.
- Log burners, even modern ones, still produce particulates and smoke. In urban areas, the health and pollution costs are significant.
- Gas fires burn fossil fuel, so while they may be efficient in converting fuel to heat, they still produce CO2 and depend on a non-renewable supply chain.
- A highly efficient appliance that is used poorly will perform worse than a less efficient unit that is used properly.
- From a whole-home perspective, if a log burner is used as a supplemental heat source (for one room) rather than the primary system, then efficiency comparisons change.
Are Wood Burners Hotter Than Gas Fires?
Wood burners are definitely much hotter than gas fires. However, they tend to take longer to heat up and will also take much longer to cool down than a gas fire. This means that you can lose a lot of heat and may use up a lot of unnecessary heat from burning wood when compared to a gas fire.
If you are looking to make just one room of the home warm, a wood-burning fire will definitely help you achieve this. However, you will have very limited control of the heat with a wood burner. Log fires are definitely the cosiest option. However, when it becomes too hot in the room, it can be very difficult to cool it down as the fire tends to stay warm for a long time, even after burning.
Gas fires have a slight advantage over wood-burning fires, as, although they may not get as hot, you have easy control of the temperature with just the push of a button or the turn of a dial, so you will have more control over the overall temperature in the room. This means that you can remain as comfortable as possible at all times with the handy gas fire controls.
Are Wood Burners Expensive to Install When Compared to Gas Fires?
Installing a log burner is usually a lot more expensive than installing a gas fire. This is due to the additional labour costs and higher material costs.
If you are looking for a budget-friendly fire installation, a gas fire or an electric fire would be a better option in terms of the initial upfront cost. Wood-burning fires tend to cost more upfront, so they wouldn’t be the best option if you are looking for a cheap fire installation.
Cost of Wood Compared to Gas
When comparing the cost of running a gas fire and a wood-burning fire, you’re probably also curious about the cost of wood compared to gas as fuel.
The cost of running a gas fire is around 6.3 pence/kWh, and gas has an energy efficiency rating of around 90%. Wood has a running cost of around 3.3 – 7.6 pence/kWh, depending on the type of wood used, and has an energy efficiency of around 70 – 85%.
With this in mind, there is not too much of a difference in the cost of each type of fuel. However, gas does seem to have a bit of an edge over wood. Both wood and gas fires are significantly cheaper to run than electric fires, so this is something to keep in mind.
How Much Wood Do You Need For a Log Burner?
If you are considering getting a log burner installed in your home, you might be wondering how much wood is needed for it to run. This can be quite difficult to determine. So, how do you know how much wood you should order for your log burner? The answer is, it will vary depending on how much you plan to use the fire and how quickly it heats up the room.
There is, however, a good rule of thumb which may help you out a bit. If you’re planning on using your wood-burning fire for a few nights each week during the winter, it’s recommended that you order roughly two cubic metres of wood. This will last you through the winter. If you’re planning on using your wood burner most evenings through the winter, you’ll most likely need to order three or four cubic metres of wood to last you through the entirety of winter. If you want to use your wood burner all through the day and night during winter, you’ll most likely need closer to six cubic metres of wood for it to last.
If you have an open fire rather than a wood-burning stove, this will be a lot less efficient and will require more wood. You’ll need at least three times the amount of wood for an open fire compared to a wood-burning stove in order to get the same amount of heat and for it to last as long.
Log Burner vs Gas Fire: Which Is Easiest to Maintain?
Wood-burning stoves and gas fires have very similar levels of maintenance. Both of these types of fires will need a chimney or some other method of extracting the fumes outside. This chimney must be cleaned and inspected regularly to ensure the fire remains efficient.
A wood-burning fire will also need additional cleaning compared to a gas fire, as the live fire will cause more pollution, and the leftover wood needs to be cleaned out after use. Wood-burning fires are also more difficult to get going. However, once you’ve got used to the routine of burning a real fire in your home, the process should feel simpler.
It is important to get both wood fires and gas fires inspected by a professional regularly to make sure they are safe and working properly.
Final Thoughts
If pure efficiency, ease and low fuss are your goals, a quality gas fire is the more efficient choice for most UK homes. If you prefer the traditional look and feel, have a good wood supply and are prepared to put in work to maintain it, a modern log burner can still be efficient and cost-effective. However, it comes with more variables and trade-offs.
Either way, ensure the unit is modern and is installed correctly by an accredited professional and that you maintain the system properly.
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR… MATTHEW JENKINS
Matthew Jenkins has worked as a self-employed tradesman in the domestic heating industry for over fifteen years. Matthew is a gas-safe engineer specialising in heating and plumbing. He also works closely with MyJobQuote to provide expert knowledge to homeowners and tradespeople and has been featured in a range of established news outlets.
