A savvy mum has said other families may be able to save as much as £2,000 by adopting a clever heating method. Bryony Lewis, a mother-of-two, installed a log burner last autumn and attributes her significant reduction in energy bills to this change.
Although the initial outlay for was £800, followed by installation costs pf £1,000, the only subsequent expense was ‘£100 on essentials like kiln-dried logs’ and a £60 maintenance check between October and March. Her total investment of £1,960 appears to have paid off handsomely, with reported bill savings of £2,000 thanks to the ACR Woodpecker WP5 Plus-spec heater now radiating abundant heat throughout her home.
“The cost of living continues to go up and gas and electricity bills are making an increasingly big dent in our finances,” the 40-year-old from Fareham said, according to the Mirror. “We are very happy we made the decision to find a cheaper alternative to central heating.”
Bryony’s ingenious move comes at a time when millions around the UK are grappling with escalating expenses, especially after the energy price cap rose by about 10% on October 1. For many households, this could mean an annual bill hike to £1,717 especially those reliant on gas and electricity.
Her quest to counter rising bills also led Bryony to purchase an air fryer, after her smart meter flagged her oven as an ‘energy-guzzling appliance’. She continued: “Our smart meter showed me that the oven was another energy-guzzling appliance. So, after researching the alternatives, I invested in an air fryer.
“This was back in 2022, and we have made really good use of it since then.” Later, Bryony added: “As a family, we do a lot of things to try to be more efficient. We take care to always switch appliances off at the plug, as leaving devices on standby can cost a small fortune.”
In 2017, the London Assembly estimated that 1.5 million wood burning stoves are in the UK, and up to 200,000 are sold each year. However, a recent crackdown could mean that anyone using these ‘the wrong way’ will be fined, according to the Express.
John Cutts, expert at MeandMyGlass.co.uk previously explained: “Many log burner owners are unaware of the recent implications of clean air regulations. If they’re not followed correctly, thousands of Brits could face large fines and even a criminal conviction. The regulations state that owners are to face penalties for using wood-burning stoves which don’t meet the UK’s standard for emissions.”