Telegraph article on Stoves

More people are switching to wood burning stoves which both cut costs and are carbon neutral.

One manufacturer, Charnwood on the Isle of Wight, has seen sales quadruple this year.

It's had to double its night shift to increase capacity and is now taking orders for next April.

"We've been inundated, we've never known anything like it" said spokesman Ced Wells.

The third generation family firm has found that some customers have completely replaced their gas and oil central heating systems in favour of wood.

"At the moment, that's the only problem" said Mr Wells, adding: "We export a lot of stoves to France where, in rural areas, every house has a log store. Here there's a bit of a problem at the moment in the distribution of wood.

"The Forestry Commission says there is plenty of wood available – it's just that distribution is patchy, but it's starting to improve".

The firm's stoves start at around £600 and rise to around £2,500.

Industry icons, the classic Aga and Rayburn, confirm demand is skyrocketing with sales tripling in the last five years.

A few years ago, Rayburn was considering discontinuing the wood burning model because it accounted for only a small fraction of sales, but now it represents over 50 per cent of their sales.

Recently the firm launched a system which uses solar power to provide up to 65 per cent of a home's hot water while saving up to 60 per cent on fuel costs. The firm says that using a wood burner for five hours a day will cost only 50p. A further incentive is that VAT on buying the stoves is 5 per cent instead of the standard rate of 17.5 per cent.

John Dabb, head of marketing for Aga claimed: "Wood burning Rayburns have gone from zero to hero."

The firm boasts a galaxy of celebrity clients – from Prince Charles to TV chefs, footballer Ronaldo to David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson.

Meanwhile the Solid Fuel Association is lauding the health benefits of burning a mix of coal and wood which, it claims promotes healthy circulation of air in a house and minimises condensation and also gets rid of mold spores which can cause bronchial irritation.

The fire also uses the chimney to rid the house of other gases and particles in the air which may give rise to asthma and hay fever.

The Association's website claims "Medical research has demonstrated that people living in houses with solid fuel heating are significantly less likely to suffer from asthma and hay fever compared to those living in houses with other forms of heating".

On the question of patchy wood supplies it says that there are nearly 1,000 coal merchants, many of whom sell logs and supplies are also available from supermarkets, farmer's co-operatives and garage forecourts.

Finally, there's one word of warning. The National Society of Master Thatchers (NSMT) says that each year about 50 thatched cottages catch fire, increasingly because owners have installed wood burners that are too powerful for old chimneys.

In some cases owners, particularly of weekend cottages, have filled up fireplaces with the burners because they look more inviting that way.

Scientist Marjorie Sanders, chief executive of the society said "When these appliances are fitted into elderly chimneys with only a four inch layer of brick between the flue and the thatch, the thatch will be especially vulnerable to the risk of heat transfer and a consequent fire.

"People are trying to save money by using wood instead of fuels like oil and gas."