Gove,coal and wood

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Gove,coal and wood
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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 19 9:12 am Post subject:

The aim of the government (if we still have one) is that anywhere that is on the gas grid should not use wood or coal as it is regarded as a 'lifestyle' choice. Well we couldn't afford to heat our house to a comfortable temperature without the fire, and some people live in one room with a fire in winter to avoid the cost of the gas. The other advantage with coal or wood is that you pay up front, so you know how much it costs, rather than an ongoing bill or large amount when you have used it, with gas or electricity. Add to that that gas is, although Gove may not have noticed, a fossil fuel, and about 50% of electricity is still made with gas.

As Ty says, we do have clean burn stoves, and new ones will have to be to at least that, if not higher standard, but most houses here were built in an era when an open fire was normal, so have chimneys and fireplaces without stoves. There is nothing to stop someone using one of those when it is cold, when they fancy a fire, or in emergency.

Ty, the problem will come I think when the respectable people like us are prevented from selling logs. If ours are not fully seasoned, we tell people, and explain how they should be stored etc. The remainder will be the big boys who sell sacks of kiln dried birch or softwood that go up in a puff of smoke, or the wide boys who swear blues black that the logs they are selling are well seasoned hardwood logs when they are either green and dripping sap, or very obviously old fences, or other rubbish, sometimes painted or treated.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 19 1:03 pm Post subject:

There has been a big panic on a farming forum I look at about this,but to be honest it is only the towns and city`s this is affecting where air pollution is a big deal.

We all know what papers are for twisting the truth,Ban Logs and Coal,when its only inferior logs and bituminous coal that is wanting banning.

Nothing stopping anyone burn Anthracite in these fires or seasoned logs.

They can bring in stoves to the highest standard possible,but its down to the fuel one uses.

Your mention of Birch logs,there was a post last night on a farming forum from a company near Cirencester,i thought the same,and they weren't cheap either.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15967

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 19 8:50 am Post subject:

The ones on sale around here come from a company that specialises in petroleum based fuels; in fact we get our red diesel from them. They are slightly cheaper than our log sacks, but smaller, and the logs are smaller. Ours are 10" and the sack is full, rather than a smaller number of 6" or so logs tumbled into a net. They are kiln dried birch, so very dry and will burn up in no time. Ours are mainly ash and beech, so even when fully seasoned will last a lot longer. On our fire, which is very efficient, I would expect one of our sacks to last at least 2 evenings, possibly 3, whereas one of the birch ones would barely last an evening.

Storage is another factor. Log suppliers I know get fed up with people insisting only on fully seasoned logs, only to leave them out in the rain and wonder why they don't burn.

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