What Is Ready To Burn?

Ready To Burn is a government certification scheme that allows consumers to purchase wood that meets known standards. Find out why you should look for this certification when buying firewood.

As the demand for sustainable heating solutions increases, many households are turning to wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. However, the type of wood used can significantly impact both efficiency and environmental footprint.

"Ready to burn" refers to wood that has been correctly seasoned and dried to a moisture content of 20% or less. This process ensures that the wood burns more efficiently and cleanly, reducing the release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.

Wood that has been certified as ready to burn typically has a higher cost due to the additional time and energy spent in order to meet the certification standards. However, burning appropriately seasoned wood is the better option for many reasons.

Properly dried wood with lower moisture content burns hotter and more efficiently, producing more heat and less smoke. Fewer particulates and volatile organic compounds are released during combustion, leading to cleaner air quality.

Ready to burn wood maximises the heat output of a stove or fireplace, providing better value for money. This is because less energy is used to evaporate moisture that would otherwise be trapped in under-seasoned logs.

Buying kiln-dried logs also eliminates the time spent processing wood yourself. Unseasoned logs require splitting, stacking and many months of seasoning — a process that takes foresight and space most households simply do not have.

Firewood prices are seasonal, with the best purchasing time typically in summer when heating isn't needed. Our price monitoring and email alerts help you find the best deals across kiln-dried firewood types.