Burning desires: trendy stoves are a MUST for the over-30s

Next comes a thatched roof and hardwood floors, according to a survey by Euroheat (01885 491112 / euroheat.co.uk), which sells wood-burning stoves and biomass heating solutions.

Nearly 40 per cent of the 2,085 people questioned stipulated a wood-burning stove, and with heating bills so high, it is easy to see why these, and traditional open fires, are so popular.

But installing them is not just a question of picking out a design and whacking it in the fireplace. HETAS, the governmentrecognised Heating Equipment Testing and Approvals Scheme for biomass and solid fuel heating appliances, advises consulting one of its registered installers before reaching any decisions.

“People should take into account the size of the room as well as the hearth and make sure the ventilation grills are not blocked,” says Bruce Allen, chief executive of HETAS.

“Using the correct fuel is also vital.” For instance, a wood-burning stove has a flat bed on which to pile wood (but never coal or other fuels) while a multi-fuel stove has a grate and can be used to burn more than just wood.

Chris Baines, managing director of Eurostove (01934 750500 / eurostove.co.uk), which sells wood-burning stoves, also warns against having a stove in a single-storey extension with bedrooms above, unless you take the flue up to double-storey height so the smoke does not cause problems.

Even the type of wood you use is important. It has to be bone dry or the stove’s glass door will blacken, and well seasoned or it can create a build-up of creosote in the chimney, which is the most common cause of chimney fires.

If you do not have the room to store wood for a year or so before using it then kiln-dried wood is recommended, says Herefordshire family business Certainly Wood (0845 901 1679 / certainlywood.co.uk), the first company to be approved under HETAS’s Quality Assured Fuel Scheme.

The firm’s firewood and kindling comes from trees grown in Britain in accordance with the UK Government Timber Procurement Policy, which promotes sustainable woodland management.

“Our unique kiln-drying process reduces the moisture content to below 20 per cent,” says the company.

“This ensures a clean burn in which very little spot builds in the chimney or flue.

“Wet wood leads to excessive tar build up and ultimately chimney fires and it’s not an easy job for your sweep.”

If you already have a woodburning stove or open fire and the term “clean burn” is new to you, perhaps you should ask for a copy of Lars Mytting’s Norwegian Wood (MacLehose Press, £20) for Christmas.

The Norwegian novelist’s book on how to cut, store and burn wood was an unexpected bestseller in 2011, and has been updated for this year’s English-language version.

In Scandinavia, wood-burning stoves are in almost every home, says Lars, but he is surprised at how many British people use them.

“The figure is extremely high compared to the size of forests in the UK.”

Lars recommends using a modern clean-burn stove to reduce pollution: “You can make a fire with no smoke if you use one of the modern clean-burn stoves that has a good supply of oxygen and make sure there is a good strong flame. If you have lots of smoke either the logs are wet, or too big, or there is too little oxygen.”

He regards correctly sourced and seasoned wood as both a clean and very renewable fuel and adds: “Sitting by the fire is a cherished luxury which is even more appreciated in Great Britain than in Norway where we have a surplus of firewood.”