Eco-Friendly Fuel Suggestions for the Home

These days, we all have to be more aware than ever of the impact the choices we make can have on others, and that’s as true for home heating as it is for anything else. That’s why the government, as part of the drive towards more sustainable living, moved to ban the sale of traditional coal in early 2023.

For those who’ve always relied on house coal, trying to decide which way to go next in this new environment can be confusing, and they may not be sure what is going to be the best fuel to use when winter comes around again.

This month, the team at KG Smith & Son is taking a look at some of the most popular, effective and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional coal to help you prepare.

Smokeless coal

Not all coal is bad for the environment – modern smokeless coals have all the benefits of house coal but without the negative side effects. In fact, modern smokeless coals actually outperform traditional house coal in many regards.

Our Homefire fuel produces 30% more heat, 25% less carbon dioxide (CO2 is a major contributor to climate change) and five times less smoke than traditional coal. That means that not only are you helping reduce the amount of damage being done to the environment, but you’re actually also getting better value out of it as well.

So, if you like the look and feel of a traditional ‘coal’ fire, you can still get it but without the harmful side effects.

Firewood

For real traditionalists – and true romantics – there’s nothing quite like the sight and smell of a real wood fire, and you can still achieve that if you’re careful about what type of wood you burn.

It’s very important that you only burn wood that has been properly dried, otherwise not only might you be harming the environment and damaging your flue and chimney (as we explained in this earlier article), but you’ll probably be breaking the law as well.

So, if you have a ready source of fresh logs and you have the space to store them while they dry naturally, that’s one possibility. But you will have to be sure that, when you come to burn them, they contain less than 20% moisture to meet current regulations.

Alternatively, we have a great range of seasoned or kiln-dried firewood that is safe and legal to burn in all areas and all wood-burning stoves. Being properly dried means that they will naturally be much easier to light than wet wood, while also burning hotter and longer for a warmer, more cost-effective home heating experience. 

Wood briquettes

These are probably the most eco-friendly of all our fuels, because they are made out of recycled wood. That means that not only are you not burning new fuel, but you’re actually using something that would otherwise have ended up in landfill.

But wood briquettes and heat logs aren’t just about being extremely environmentally friendly – they’re also among the most effective home heating solutions out there. So what you lose in terms of the sight, smell and spark of a real wood fire, you more than make up for in terms of the amount of heat you get, the cleanliness of the burn and the good value they represent.

How to make the switch to eco-friendly fuels

If you want to be more eco-friendly when heating your home, we hope we’ve given you some useful and practical suggestions. 

But if you’re still not sure which eco-friendly fuel choices would be best for your home and your stove, boiler or open fire, our home heating experts are here to help you. We’ve been in the business for more than 70 years and have both the expertise and the broad selection of great fuels that mean we’re sure to have the one that suits you, your home, your burner and your budget.

Get in touch with the team at KG Smith & Son for more information or some expert advice. Alternatively, if you’ve already made your choice, then you can place your order online now.