

Find out more about cookies >

New Houses

How to be energy efficient and carbon friendly

A wood burning stove can be used as primary heating and be responsible for up to 100% of the house heating or be linked with another primary heating system.

Linked Heating Systems

We believe that the new regulations will lead to the growth in link-up systems, where the wood burning stove and the boiler will be linked together .


The level of ventilation is critical in an energy efficient house. The air-tightness of the house can have a significant impact on the house’s energy rating. Having spent time and money heating the air in a room the last thing you want to do is to allow that air to escape. An open fire and most room open gas heaters operate with a chimney of 200mm internal diameter. In the SAP calculation a 200mm diameter chimney is deemed to lose 20 cubic metres of air every hour. The ventilation loss from a chimney with a smaller diameter is half this rate at 10cm³. Most stoves operate on a flue of 150mm internal diameter. A closed loop stove and chimney system, in which the new generation of stoves take the combustion air directly from outside the house will reduce the air loss from the room to virtually zero.

Understanding SAP

SAP is the Standard Assessment Procedure used to calculate the overall energy efficiency and carbon output of a house.

The program produces a single value for the energy efficiency of the house and for the amount of CO2 given out. The energy efficiency and CO2 output of the components of the house are combined to produce an overall result for the house.

A more efficient or less carbon intensive component can be used to compensate for a less efficient/more carbon intensive one.

This method of 'carbon trading' within the house means that a less carbon intensive appliance like a wood burning stove can be used to compensate for a more carbon intensive appliance.