Wood & pellets
Wood can be cheap heat if you buy clever, but it is the fuel where bad choices cost the most. Wet logs give you half the energy, a smoky room and a clogged flue. Certified Ready to Burn fuel is the minimum — and increasingly the legal minimum too.
This week's best deals
Rates indicative. Confirm with supplier before ordering.
Certainly Wood
4.8Kiln-dried British hardwood
Logs Direct
4.6Mixed hardwood, crate or loose
Verdo Pellets
4.5ENplus A1 wood pellets
Homefire Ecoal
4.3Low-smoke smokeless briquettes
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Why homeowners choose it
- Renewable when sourced responsibly
- Independent of the grid during outages
- Pellet boilers can qualify for Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants
Trade-offs to weigh up
- Storage needs a dry, ventilated space
- Daily user effort — loading, ash removal
- Air-quality rules tightening in urban areas
Three tips from the wood & pellets desk
Buy by the cubic metre, not the tonne
Moisture can add 30% to weight without adding heat. A stacked cubic metre of seasoned hardwood is a more honest unit than a “bulk bag”.
Check the Ready to Burn logo
Since 2023 it’s illegal to sell wet logs in units under 2m³ in England. The woodsure.co.uk logo guarantees below 20% moisture.
Sweep your flue every autumn
A chimney sweep is £60–£100. A chimney fire from creosote build-up — or a failed buildings-insurance claim — is rather more.