With winter approaching, you are probably already thinking of ways to cut down the cost of that fuel bill… well, this blog post is going to tell you how you can reduce your winter bills!

Everyone loves an open fire: the crackling wood, dancing flames and the fierce heat warming up your house. But what most people don’t know is that it’s actually really cost-effective compared to your regular heating. So, not only are you getting the aesthetic appeal of an open fire, but your bank account will also be glad to see your money going to something more exciting than your heating bill.

Starting your Open Fire

If you have a fireplace there are a few things that you need to consider before you start lighting a fire:

Is the chimney capped?
Do you live in a smoke control area?
What wood or coal are you going to use?

Chim Chimney, Chim Chim Cher-ee!

If your chimney is capped then you will need to remove this and make sure there aren’t any problems with the inside of our chimney. If you are unsure, then it’s best that you get a builder to have a look, just to make sure.

Your chimney also needs to be swept on a regular basis which can cost from £30-40. If you are not a qualified chimney sweeper, then we advise you to go through the website of the National Association of Chimney Sweeps. All of their workers have been through a number of processes to be qualified on their website, so you know the job will get done right.

If you don’t get your chimney swept often, then you actually are running the risk of chimney fires or even monoxide poisoning!

Fires normally start because people are burning green wood which still contains oil and sap (which isn’t what you should be burning) and leads to the vapour going up the chimney, cooling down, and coming back down where it gets mixed in with tar. This substance is highly flammable and is the reason why you need to get your chimney swept regularly.

What Wood/ Coal is Best for You?

As mentioned above, unseasoned wood (greenwood) is really harmful; not only your chimney but also for your own health. This is why at CoalHut.com we have a wide range of products for your open fires, that include guaranteed seasoned wood for you to choose from. Each of our products online, have an evaluation out of 5 about heat output, fire life and ash content, to allow you to easily compare our products and find the best one for you.

Smoke Control

Smoke controlled areas are a common regulation in towns and cities in the UK, so before you by any wood or coal, it’s important that you head over to uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk to find out whether or not you live in a smokeless area.

If you do, then you’ll need to buy smokeless fuel for your fire; not wood or your standard coal.

At Coal Hut, we offer UK delivery with 5 DAYS! Head to our website today, stock up and start saving your money.