First ask yourself - what do you want the stove for?
Is your stove going to be used to warm a single room or is it going to be for central heating & hot water?
A stove can be a great alternative to central heating and keep your heating cost low, especially if you choose to burn logs that are the cheapest form of fuel.
The three main forms of stoves are Freestanding, Insert and Double Sided.
Freestanding is a good choice if you need something that is ideally portable and easy to move.
Inset stoves are fitted into the wall, and not always, but normally in the place where a fireplace would be. They will be more efficient than a fireplace because a lot of the heat tends to especape via the chimney.
Double Sided stoves are designed to produce heat in multiple directions, and more ideal if you have multiple rooms or a large room to heat up.
Inset stoves are more flexible with their designs and come in a range of different styles. You could go for a traditional looking stove that adds a rustic feel to the room or you could opt for a more modern stove to bring your room into the 21st century.
So what fuel should I choose?
Gas stoves are very reliable and will supply heat even in the event of a power cut. However, gas stoves are more expensive to install but due to not using electricity they have low operating costs. Long term they will save money to cover the initial expense.
Wood-burning stoves are the most eco-friendly option and have the potential to produce carbon-neutral heat, when burning the correct low moisture content wood. Wood stoves too tend to be the cheapest to install with lower initial costs and heating. They can be converted into a multi-fuel stove, but ONLY with the correct type of venitalition.
Electric stoves are the most efficient stove, and are easy to operate and have the lowest risk of fire. However, the use of electricity does mean they will cost more on your energy bills.
Multi fuel stoves offer the greatest flexibility with the ability to burn multiple fuels to produce heating for your home. Multi fuels tend to offer the reliability of a wood-burning stove with a lower fire risk. These do tend have higher installation cost and are not as environmentally friendly as other options.
