With winter snapping at our heels and heating bills continuing to soar, more and more people are turning to [wood burning stoves|http://www.wilsonbailey.com] to save money and bring home some warmth and winter cheer. Using a wood burner can lower the heating costs of an average family household by at least £400 per year. With stove sales estimated to rise by 50,000 this season according to the trade body 'Chimneys and Stoves', there are some important points to consider before buying a wood burner.

Purpose Quality Style and design Performance Price Green living

What do you want a wood burner stove to do? Heating a room or supplying hot water have always been options but increasingly people want a stylish stove too. Appearance is now an important consideration.

Looks really count When it comes to style consumer research indicates that people want better choice and more flexibility. As well as being a practical heating option, stoves are a lifestyle choice too. They also give focus and character to a room. Wood burning stoves no longer have to look awkward and unattractive and are a far cry from their earlier ancestors. Contemporary stoves look good in any home whether it's a modern urban bolthole, cosy country cottage or spacious family home. Choose a stove that's not hard on the eye and looks good even when it's not in use.

Customise your own stove By constantly challenging today's technology, Wilson Bailey has put style and design influences right into the hands of the customer. Selecting a wood burner from the Chameleon range, people can now customise a stove to suit their living space from a wide selection of doors, tops and handles, to different feet and colours. This amount of 'custom-styling' is an industry first. The 'Gecko' recently featured as one of 'the stoves to buy' in Homes and Interiors Scotland magazine, and since the launch of the 'Special Edition' at Grand Designs Live, this stove is currently the top choice with customers. Its highly polished, mirror-finished door is another industry first and its presence complements any room even when it isn't active.

Good design saves money and addresses environmental issues When it comes to good design, it's important to consider the inside too. Well-designed wood burning stoves lined with vermiculite help to increase the stove temperature improving efficiency. This saves money on fuel as less wood is burnt. The design team at Wilson Bailey have worked hard to ensure their stoves are one of the most efficient and greenest on the market. Stoves are lined with pure vermiculite, increasing the efficiency rating still further. On top of this, pure vermiculite has more resistance to carbon emissions too. Manufactured by Skamol, it is considered to be the best in the industry.

Make sure you can always see the flames and glowing embers Another design feature to look for is a 'clean glass' burning system offering unrestricted views of the flames. Don't end up buying a stove where you are constantly cleaning a blackened window. Cheaper stoves without this system may not keep your glass as clean.

Paying for quality will reward you handsomely Price is always a consideration when it comes to any purchase. But buying the cheapest stove on the market isn't always the best option. Quality is usually compromised in one way or another and you are likely to spend a lot more money on fuel. As stoves are fast becoming scene-setters in many homes, investing in a good-looking, quality stove will provide you with warmth and comfort for years to come, adding style and character to your room too.

Quality is critical The hallmarks of a good quality stove are performance, whether it's clean burning and a well-engineered design. So how can you tell if you're looking at a quality stove?

Better performance means greater efficiency and a clean burning stove Performance is measured in efficiency ratings and the higher the rating, the more efficient the stove. It is also cleaner burning with fewer carbon emissions being produced. Environmental issues continue to remain an important item on the company's agenda and Wilson Bailey wood burners critically have very low emissions and a high efficiency rating of almost 80%. Many stoves register at a lot less, burn more fuel and therefore cost more to run.

Buying the right size stove for the room is essential Before shopping for a stove, it is important to note the cubic metres of the room. Wood burning stoves push out far more heat than a traditional open grate. Heat output is measured in kilowatts (kWs) and a good quality stove not only radiates 4 kilowatts of heat per hour (or more) but its performance is increased further using seasoned quality wood. If the stove is too big for the room, the room will become too hot on standard settings. If you attempt to run the stove continuously on a lower setting to reduce heat output, this can cause a build up of resin which may eventually cause a chimney fire. If you buy a stove that's too small for the room, it will never do the job it was intended for.

Stoves do not like unseasoned wood and burn less efficiently When it comes to buying wood for your stove there are lots of options and a few points to bear in mind. Wood burning stoves enjoy quality fuel just like people enjoy eating tasty food. Eighty percent of problems arising from wood burning stoves are due to using poor quality unseasoned wood. Stoves burn less efficiently, devour wood and give off higher carbon emissions – not to mention blackened windows and clogging up the innards and flue. Burning unseasoned wood produces a resin like creosote. If this is allowed to build up, it can cause a chimney fire.

Keep safe and get the chimney swept If you haven't used your fireplace for years, it is essential to get an inspection to check the chimney is sound and the flue is in good working order. Installing a quality stainless steel flue liner also improves your stove's performance and makes it easier to clean the chimney too. To find a professional [chimney sweep|http://www.chimneyworks.co.uk/nacs_sweep_search.html] in your area clink on the link or contact The National Association of Chimney Sweeps which is a regulated body.

Use a qualified engineer to fit your wood burner stove Once you have bought your stove, make sure it is fitted by a qualified engineer. HETAS supply a list of registered installers in your local area. Now you're ready to cosy up this winter with a wood burner stove.

For more information on multi fuel and wood burning stoves, buying fuel, stove terminology and FAQs, visit the Wilson Bailey website or talk to one of our team.

Contact details and useful information: www.wilsonbailey.com Stove Enquiries, Distributor and Technical information: +44 (0) 1202 894 549 email: info@wilsonbailey.com

The National Association of Chimney Sweeps. Tel. 01785 811732. http://www.nacs.org.uk HETAS. Tel. 0845 634 5626. http://www.hetas.co.uk

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Jenny Edmondson pr@wilsonbailey.com +34 661 947 335