How Much Firewood Do I Need? A UK Calculator and Guide
Often when people start to buy logs in bulk, they don't know how much to buy. Depending on the amount of firewood you will need, you might be able to buy all your seasonal fuel in one go! If you have the available storage space - buying in bulk can be cost effective because you're paying for less delivery, packaging and handling. And even better - if you know how much you'll need, you can buy everything in the summer months when prices are at their lowest.
Firewood calculator
Using our firewood calculator below will help you to estimate how much firewood you will need for the winter season. Start with the scenario that most closely matches your situation and then tweak the calculation accordingly.
Will I have enough logs for winter?
If this is your first time buying firewood in bulk, the figure that our calculator provides is a good starting point for determining your seasonal needs. Remember that this is an estimate and you might need more or less for the winter - there are lots of variables, most notably the unpredictable UK weather!
If you don't have the storage space to buy it all in one go, if possible, we recommend buying enough to last you through the colder months - this will help you to avoid the highest winter prices.
Don't forget to subscribe to our price alerts to make sure you're buying the cheapest kiln-dried, Ready to Burn logs we can find at the cheapest time of year.
What else do I need to buy?
Whether you're a traditional fire starter or a top-downer, you'll also need kindling and possibly firelighters (we love the natural wood shaving + wax firelighters). Make sure you look out for deals and bundles when you're buying logs, however don't forget you can make your own kindling too! Birch is great for easy starting due to its oily bark and lighter density wood grain.
Common Questions
It varies a lot depending on how you use your stove. As a rough guide, a household using a stove a few evenings a week through winter gets through 2-3 cubic metres a year. If you're using it as a main heat source most days, that can climb to 5-8 cubic metres. The calculator above gives you a more personalised estimate based on your stove and how you actually use it.
Anywhere from a few weeks to several months. A casual user lighting up a few evenings a week might get a whole season from 1-2 cubic metres. Someone running their stove all day in winter could burn through that in a month. It depends on stove size, how long you burn for, and the species of wood.
Roughly 350-500 logs, depending on log size and how they're stacked. Smaller, more uniform logs pack tighter so you tend to get more per cubic metre. Worth remembering that suppliers sell by volume rather than count, so log size isn't really something you choose, it's just useful to know.
Summer is usually cheapest. Suppliers want to clear stock and demand drops off once the warmer months arrive, so prices tend to bottom out around July and August before climbing into autumn. We track this across UK suppliers and the average swing is around £15-20 per cubic metre between summer and winter. Worth stocking up early if you've got somewhere to store it.
In practice, yes. Both should be at 20% moisture or less, but kiln-dried tends to be more consistent. Drier wood produces more usable heat per cubic metre because less energy is wasted evaporating moisture. So you'll often find you need slightly less kiln-dried than damp seasoned wood to heat the same room. If you're not sure how dry your wood is, a moisture meter is worth the small investment.
Yes. Denser hardwoods like oak and ash pack more energy into the same volume than lighter woods like birch or alder. So a cubic metre of oak will produce more heat than a cubic metre of birch. The trade-off is that denser woods are harder to light and usually cost more. Most people end up with a mix, or a hardwood blend, which works well for everyday burning.
A few things help. Burn dry wood (20% moisture or less). Get the fire properly hot before turning the air down, but don't choke it off completely or you'll get a smoky, inefficient burn. Use denser hardwoods for longer evenings and lighter woods to get the fire going. Loading the stove with one or two larger logs at a time is usually better than several smaller ones.
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