Smokeless Coal – Seasoned Hardwood Logs

Get Your Home Ready for Christmas With Big K

If you have a fireplace and want to experience the joys of an open fire this season, it is important to stock up on winter fuel products - such as smokeless coal and seasoned hardwood logs well in advance; to keep your home snug and warm throughout the festive period.

A real fire gives your home a magical feel and whether fuelled by smokeless coal or seasoned hardwood logs, creates the perfect backdrop when entertaining friends and generally makes your home feel brighter in the winter months. It is also great for sitting round on Christmas morning, whilst the whole family gather together to open presents.

Fortunately, Big K makes buying winter fuel easy for you, as they are able to deliver their winter fuel products straight to your door. In addition to smokeless coal and seasoned hardwood logs, for the ultimate in convenience this Christmas, Big K supply all your winter fuel needs including house coal, anthracite coal and kindling. Click on the link below to order your smokeless coal and seasoned hardwood logs now.

Smokeless Coal - click here to view our range of products.

Keep Safe This Christmas – Avoid Fire Hazards

Whilst a fireplace looks and feels cosy on Christmas day, it is important to take precautions to prevent against fire.

Many people like to decorate their fireplace with pretty decorations but, if you are doing this, make sure that this area is clear of combustibles as these can get ignited by sparks from the fire and become a hazard.

Instead of placing cards on the mantelpiece, punch holes in the top of the cards and string them up securely with ribbon. It is always best to hang them on the wall away from the fireplace or stand them on a bookshelf or window sill.

If you are playing host to young children at Christmas, never leave your fire unattended while they are in the room. A fireplace screen will prevent sparks escaping and will stop children going near.

While some people are tempted to throw wrapping paper onto the fire, this is potentially dangerous because it can throw off little sparks. Instead, once everyone has opened up their presents, collect up all the wrapping paper and put it in the recycling bin.

Keep candles, lighters and matches out of reach of little fingers and make sure any of these items are not left lying around when children are about. Play it safe at Christmas and use your common sense to avoid fire.

Whether or not you have an open fire, you must ensure that you have a sufficient number of smoke alarms (one on each level) and these should be checked weekly to ensure they are in full working order.

Ideas for Safely Decorating Your Fireplace this Christmas

If you do want to make your fireplace seasonal this Christmas, there are some ways to do this without it being a fire hazard. Put some ornaments on the mantel-piece such as miniature Christmas trees, sleighs or reindeers, to make this part of the home seasonal and festive.

You do not have to overdo your decorations, just two metal trees at either side of the fireplace is a beautiful addition to this area and will provide the perfect complement to a fully decorated tree.

The children, of course, would want to hang their stockings up above the fireplace on Christmas Eve – they will also want to put some rum and some Christmas cake out for Santa. Just make sure that the fire isn’t lit before Santa makes his way down the chimney!

If you are stocking up on seasoned hardwood logs, there are some wonderful and novel ways to store these products, including metal wall hangings that will create a wall feature out of your wood. If you don’t want to make a focal point out of your logs, there are also a variety of attractive metal holders and buckets to store seasoned hardwood logs and smokeless coal. You can even make hints to have one of these for a Christmas gift! Just contact Big K to stock up on your seasoned hardwood logs, smokeless coal and other winter fuel products.

Smokeless Coal - click here to view our range of products.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs – Smokeless Coal – Winter Fuel

Seasoned hardwood logs and smokeless coal - a great way to reduce your heating costs this winter

Ten Ways to Reduce Heating Bills in Your Home

The costs of home heating are escalating. British Gas recently announced an increase in its electricity prices and other UK energy firms have followed suit including npower, Scottish Power and SSE. And with the price rises of up to 9.1 per cent for some customers, many people will be thinking about ways to cut the cost of their heating bills.

One great way to do this is to supplement your heating with an open fire, burning seasoned hardwood logs or smokeless coal in combination or as an alternative to oil or gas fired heating. Read on for our top tips on more ways to reduce your household bills this winter. .

Seasoned Hardwood Logs – click here to view our range of products.

Ten Ways to Slash Your Fuel Bills

There are several ways to lower the cost of your heating, ranging from using smokeless coal or seasoned hardwood logs on an open fire to the cheapest option – wrapping up warm. Here is our top ten:

1. Smokeless coal and Seasoned Hardwood Logs. If you have an open fire, these can be a very economical form of heating and both types of fuel can be used in designated smoke free zones . These fuel types are suitable for both modern and traditional fireplaces and are packed in handy sized polypropylene nets (in the case of seasoned hardwood logs) or easy to store packs (smokeless coal). Make sure you are always prepared and stock up on your smokeless coal and seasoned hardwood logs well in advance of any cold snaps.
2. Insulation. Another way to cut costs is to think about free home insulation. British Gas currently has a scheme in some areas whereby you can apply for free insulation worth £1000 (including materials and labour) for loft and cavity walls, subject to a free survey. Anyone can apply for this, even those who are not British Gas customers, providing they apply before the deadline of 30 November 2012. This can net you savings of up to £175 a year.
3. Talk To Your Supplier and Consider Switching. If you feel your gas and electricity bills are too high, negotiate with your electricity company to see if they can drive the bills down (such as paying monthly by direct debit). If they are unable to come up with a cheaper alternative, shop around to find a company that offers a better deal, then switch if you need to. Some companies may demand an exit fee, so if you are thinking of switching, don’t forget to factor in this in against any savings you might make.
4. Service or Upgrade Your Boiler. How old your boiler is and the type of boiler you have effects how efficient it is. To maximise the efficiency of your boiler, make sure it is properly maintained. Having it regularly serviced means that you won’t have to fork out for expensive repairs. If you are replacing your boiler for a new one, you could make an average saving of £300 on household bills. However, this does not take into account the cost of installing your new boiler.
5. Stop Up Draughts. There are several other ways to cut down the cost of your heating bills. Even small changes can make a difference such as draught proofing your doors and even your letterbox. Check your doors and windows for draughts and weather proof them if necessary.
6. Adjust Vents and Blinds. If you have vents above your windows, close them on cold and windy days to stop the draughts coming in. It is also a good idea to open the curtains or blinds during the day to let the sun in to warm up the room, then close them at night.
7. Clear Space Around Radiators. Avoid positioning furniture in your home so that it blocks the radiators. By keeping the radiators clear, this will increase efficiency and help lower the cost of your heating bills.
8. Only Heat the Rooms You Need To. Only put the radiators on in the rooms that you are using – if there is a spare bedroom or dining room that you don’t use so much, turn off the radiator in this room and close the door.
9. Turn Down the Thermostat. Turn your thermostat down a few degrees if possible, but keep it at a temperature that remains comfortable. It is recommended that you set your thermostat between 18-21C.
10. Wrap up Warm. Wear extra clothing and put more blankets or a warm throw on the bed. In the winter months always have a throw to hand by the sofa so you can snuggle under it to watch television.

About Big K

Big K sell a wide range of winter fuel products including seasoned hardwood logs and smokeless coal. To make buying easy, we deliver seasoned hardwood logs and smokeless coal nationwide.

Smokeless Coal – click here to view our range of products.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs: Enjoy All The Benefits of a Real Log Fire This Autumn

When autumn arrives, it is time to gather your seasoned hardwood logs by the fireside and cosy up in front of a real log fire. A crackling log fire has a wonderful, homely appeal and whether you have a town house, or a country cottage, it sets the atmosphere and makes your home snug and warm when the temperature drops.

If you have an open hearth, it is important to be prepared well in advance of any cold spell and stock up on all you need to create the perfect log fire including seasoned hardwood logs. Big K sell a wide range of products for wood burning stoves, open fires and other appliances and these products include seasoned hardwood logs such as beech, ash, elder and lime wood sold in easy to store polythene nets.

We also sell a wide range of other winter fuel products for home delivery including smoke free fuel, smoke free coal, anthracite, house coal, instant lighting fuel, kindling, paraffin, firelighters and matches.

Gathering in front of a log fire on a cold winter night is a real treat. Here we shall consider all the benefits of using your open fire this winter and look at the advantages of using seasoned hardwood logs.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products.

Cosy up with a Real Log Fire: The Benefits

Cheaper Than Other Fuel Alternatives – Log fires are cheaper than other forms of heating the home and the room heats up relatively quickly and stays warm and snug until the fire dies out. Seasoned hardwood logs in particular are a great way of keeping the house warm as they burn hotter than non-seasoned logs and are more fuel efficient than freshly cut logs.
Creates A Focal Point – Nothing beats a roaring log fire to warm your interior on chilly autumn and winter evenings. It is also very sociable as you will find it attracts all the family together in one room to take part in an individual hobby such as reading, or family activities such as board games or simply watching a film together.

Mood Enhancing – When it is cold and dark outside, sitting around a log fire is both cheering and relaxing, whatever the outdoor conditions.

Colourful – Real log fires are cosy and colourful and there is something magical about watching the flames crackle in the fireplace. It creates a mesmerising soft glow of red, yellows and ambers and is a joy to watch.

Creates Light – As fire creates light, in the unfortunate event of a power cut in your region, you can still benefit from the glow created by the flames. So there is no need to scrabble around for the candles! Or simply turn off the electric lights and enjoy the firelight.

Eco-friendly – Log fires reduce the need for reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. It also encourages responsible forestry through the sustainable management of forests. As logs are readily available in the UK, they don’t have to be shipped in from other countries, so by ordering seasoned firewood logs from a UK based company such as Big K, it helps cut down on your carbon footprint.

Cooking – You can even cook on your fireplace and make it a family activity. Although do take care and proceed with absolute caution if you intend to do this and make sure that only responsible adults undertake this task. Chestnuts or marshmallows roasted on an open fire are simply delicious!

Top Tips for Autumn

If you are thinking of using your log fire this autumn, here are a few things to bear in mind:
It is always best to stock up on fuel well in advance and one way to do this is by ordering your seasoned firewood logs from Big K as soon as you can. Being prepared means you can light your fire whenever you need to as you will always have the right products to hand.

Choose logs that you can light quickly and easily. Seasoned firewood logs have been ready cut and stored for about a year and this reduces the water content of the wood – this means the logs burn easier and are more efficient than freshly cut logs.

When it comes to lighting a fire, take extra care. Don’t leave children or pets unattended once the fire is lit. And use a metal screen in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks jumping out.

 Never get rid of hot ashes either inside or near the home, as they can present a fire risk. Instead, put them in a metal container and take it outside, away from the house. Other precautions to take are to make sure your chimney is kept clean and inspected regularly by a professional, and to always ensure that your smoke alarm is in full working order.

About Big K

Our Big K winter fuel products, including seasoned firewood logs, smokeless coal, house coal, anthracite, quick burning fuel products, matches and kindling are available for nationwide home delivery.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products

SeasonedHardwood Logs – Environmentally-Friendly Home Heating

If you want to heat up your home in an environmentally-friendly way this winter, using seasoned hardwood logs on an open fire or wood burning stove is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Many householders who have open fireplaces already enjoy all the benefits they bring: it makes the home cosy and warm, cuts the cost of heating bills and reduces the impact on the environment.

In fact, even among those planning a new build, or house extension, several are opting for an open fireplace to become more eco-friendly. Chimneys can be installed in new builds or extensions and can also be added to existing properties and they make a wonderful feature in the home.

However, if you already have a wood burning stove or an open fire and it is ready for use this winter, you would be well advised to start now and stock up on seasoned hardwood logs.

Big K sells high quality seasoned hardwood logs in polythene nets and they contain a mixture of hardwoods including birch, elm, ash, cedar, oak and lime wood. Our winter fuel is delivered nationwide.

Here we shall take a look at how the use of seasoned hardwood logs on your open fire is an eco-friendly way to heat your home.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products.

Eco-Friendly Benefits of Seasoned Hardwood Logs

• The process of drying (or seasoning) hard wood has been used for centuries and the resulting product can be used on anything: from wood burning stoves to open fires and chimneas.
• Seasoned hardwood logs may have as much as 40 per cent less moisture content than freshly cut wood, also known as green wood. This makes them more fuel efficient as the energy used in burning the logs is spent generating heat for your home, instead of drying off the excess water.
• Hardwood logs dried in this way are virtually smoke free, which means there are less deposits of soot or creosote (a tar like substance) in your chimney. This over time, helps reduce the overall cost of cleaning and maintaining the flue.
• Buying Big K seasoned hardwood logs encourages responsible forestry as all our wood comes from sustainable sources.
• In addition, Big K is a British based company which only uses logs readily available from the UK. The benefit of this is that our logs don’t have to be imported from other countries so it helps cut down on our - and your - carbon footprint.
• Open fires in general reduce the dependence on fossil fuels which is good news all round.
• The use of timber on an open fire also helps lower carbon emissions because wood is a carbon neutral product. This is because the quantity of carbon dioxide it releases when it is burned is equivalent to that of which it absorbed during its lifetime.
• Seasoned hardwood logs burn hotter and for longer than seasoned soft wood which means that they are more fuel efficient and help to reduce fuel costs in the long run.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs Sold By Big K

Big K seasoned hardwood logs comply to BSI standard P250 and P330. They are cut to 20-25 cm in length and 4 cm to 16 cm in diameter, so they are ideal for open fireplaces, woodburners and a range of other appliances.

How to Store Your Seasoned Harwood Logs

Seasoned hardwood logs that have been stored correctly produce more heat and are therefore more cost effective.

The best way to store them is to keep your seasoned hardwood logs undercover and off the ground, but also allow the air to get to them. If you don’t have a designated log storage area you can buy log stores online, which are available in the form of crates or log bins and allow the air to circulate.

Seasoned Hardwood Logs - click here to view our range of products