Bryony Lewis got a log burner fitted in autumn 2022 and reckons she’s already saved £2,000 on her gas bill. Here the mum-of-two shares her top tips for keeping costs down
UK households with a log burner in their living room are being gifted a free £2,000 each. Bryony Lewis, a mum-of-two, had a log burner installed in autumn 2022 and believes she’s already saved £2,000 on her bills since making the switch.
The 40-year-old, who resides in a five-bedroom house in Fareham, Hampshire, with her husband Dan, son Theo, eight, and daughter Izzy, six, runs her own e-commerce business, T and Belle.
“The cost-of-living continues to go up and gas and electricity bills are making an increasingly big dent in our finances,” explains Bryony. “We are very happy we made the decision to find a cheaper alternative to central heating.”
Bryony shelled out £800 for her log burner, plus approximately £1,000 for its installation. “We paid around £800 for our ACR Woodpecker WP5 Plus – but as we’ve discovered, it doesn’t take too long to recoup the cost.”
Bryony revealed: “Even on the coldest days, we only put the heating on for a maximum of one hour in the morning and the same before bedtime, despite the fact I work from home. For the whole of the winter season last year – from October to March – we spent a total of £100.”
Bryony recommends purchasing good-quality kiln-dried logs, explaining how “doing this means the unit gives out a lot of heat.” She also advised that regular chimney sweeping is necessary too: “We last did this last in September and it cost us around £60.”
“Our smart meter showed me that the oven was another energy-guzzling appliance,” she revealed. “So, after researching the alternatives, I invested in an air fryer. This was back in 2022, and we have made really good use of it since then.”
Bryony added: “As a family, we do a lot of things to try to be more efficient. We take care to always switch appliances off at the plug, as leaving devices on standby can cost a small fortune.”
