Can a Wood Burning Stove Help Reduce Your Heating Bills?
With household energy costs set to rise again this autumn, many of us are thinking carefully about how we heat our homes and, importantly, how much control we actually have over those costs.
Ofgem has confirmed that the energy price cap will increase from 1 October 2026. For a typical household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity, the annual figure will rise by 4%, from £1,663 to £1,723. Around 22 million households are covered by the cap. (Stove Industry Association | SIA)
The Stove Industry Association believes the latest increase highlights something that is sometimes overlooked when talking about home heating: energy resilience. For households with a modern wood burning stove, having access to a second, independent source of heat can provide greater flexibility and choice over how the home is heated.
Why are energy prices rising again?
According to Ofgem, higher wholesale gas prices are behind the latest increase, with volatility in global gas markets continuing to have a significant influence on household energy costs. While the overall price cap is increasing by 4%, the SIA highlights that gas is responsible for much of the change, with gas bills under the cap increasing by 8%.
It is another reminder of just how closely household energy bills can be connected to events and markets far beyond our own homes. This is where the SIA believes having a diverse range of heating options becomes increasingly valuable.
A wood burner does not have to heat your whole home
One of the most important points made by the SIA is that modern wood burning stoves are typically used as secondary heating, rather than as a replacement for a home’s main heating system. That distinction matters. A wood burner gives you the option to heat the room you are actually using, rather than automatically heating the entire house. Think about a cold autumn evening when everyone is sitting in the living room. Instead of turning on the central heating to warm bedrooms, hallways and other rooms that may not be occupied, a stove can provide heat directly to the space where it is wanted.
The SIA believes this flexibility can help households manage their use of other, increasingly expensive, heating fuels. It is not necessarily about choosing between central heating and a wood burner. It is about having another option available.
What does energy resilience actually mean?
Energy resilience sounds complicated, but the idea behind it is very simple. It is about having choices. If your home is completely dependent on one source of energy, changes to the cost or availability of that energy can have an immediate impact on you. A modern wood burning stove provides a separate source of heat that is not directly reliant on gas or electricity.
The SIA points specifically to locally sourced wood fuel as a renewable heating option that is not directly dependent on international gas markets or electricity prices. This can give households greater choice and control over their home heating. For many stove owners, that independence is an important part of owning a wood burner.
Heat the space you are living in
There is also something very practical about room based heating. Most of us do not use every room in our homes equally throughout the day. During an evening at home, you might spend several hours in just one or two rooms. A modern wood burning stove allows you to put heat directly into that living space. This is particularly useful during the months either side of winter, when the temperature drops in the evening but you may not want or need to turn on the heating throughout the whole house. It gives you another way to respond to the weather and to how you are actually using your home.
The importance of burning responsibly
Of course, how a stove is used matters. The SIA is clear that modern wood burning stoves should be used responsibly and with good quality dry wood. Choosing the right appliance, having it correctly installed, using suitable fuel and operating it properly are all important parts of responsible stove ownership. At Hunter Stoves, we have spent 30 years designing and manufacturing wood burning stoves for British homes, with modern appliances developed to meet today’s standards for efficiency and emissions. A modern stove is a very different appliance from an open fire or an old, inefficient stove, and choosing an appropriate modern appliance is an important consideration for anyone looking to add wood burning to their home.
A more diverse approach to home heating
Perhaps the most interesting point raised by the SIA is the need to recognise that there does not have to be a single answer to how we heat our homes. As another winter of higher energy costs approaches, the SIA believes energy policy should recognise the value of having a diverse mix of domestic heating technologies.
For households that already have a modern wood burning stove, responsible use with good quality dry wood can form a practical part of managing both comfort and heating expenditure. For those considering installing one, the attraction is not simply the warmth and atmosphere that comes with a real fire. It is also the ability to have another source of heat available when you want it. With energy prices continuing to fluctuate, that additional flexibility could become increasingly valuable.
Greater choice over how you heat your home
None of us can control what happens to wholesale gas prices or international energy markets. What we can have more control over is how we respond to them. A modern wood burning stove can sit alongside a home’s existing heating system, giving households the freedom to heat the space they are using and reduce their reliance on their main heating source when appropriate. As the Stove Industry Association has highlighted following the latest energy price cap announcement, that ability to choose how and when we heat our homes is becoming an increasingly important part of household energy resilience.
Discover the Hunter Stoves wood burning collection and find a local retailer to learn more about choosing the right stove for your home.
Source: Stove Industry Association, “Rising energy price cap highlights the value of household energy resilience”, 26 August 2026. (Stove Industry Association | SIA)
