Are you facing rising household fuel bills?

 With energy prices rising, it has never been a better time to think about getting a stove. 

Here at Westcombes, we have a wide range of Defra-approved woodburners which can be used in London's smoke-free zone to help you cut back on gas and electricity bills.  When the weather's just a little chilly, a stove can give your sitting room a cosy glow without the need to put on the heating throughout the house.

Just last week the energy regulator Ofgem warned that Britain faces power shortages by 2015 and it is anticipated that shortages could lead to sharp price increases with some experts suggesting that household fuel bills could double - so opting for a woodburning stove now could prove to be a timely move.

We go further than you may think....

We may be based in Lee, but we don't just cover the Lewisham area.  As South East London's only HETAS-approved retailer, we sell and fit our woodburners, stoves and fireplaces right across South East London and northern parts of Kent - so that includes Dulwich, Peckham, Nunhead, Herne Hill,  Honor Oak, Tulse Hill, Hither Green, Forest Hill, Sydenham,  Brockley, Blackheath, Greenwich, Eltham, Mottingham,  New Cross, Catford, Woolwich, Thamesmead, Plumstead, Sidcup, Erith, Crayford, Orpington, Chiselhurst, Penge, Croydon, Beckenham and Bromley amongst many others...

We have a huge range of antique, modern and reproduction fireplaces as well as one showroom dedicated entirely to stoves - including a big selection of woodburners approved by Defra for use in London's smoke free zones. 

If you aren't sure whether we might be able to fit and deliver in your area, do just give us a call on 0208 852 6204 or come into the shop and see us.  We're open Monday - Saturday 10-6 and on Sundays during October and November from 12 - 4.

Extended opening hours

When the weather gets colder, we get busier!  In order to be able to offer our customers the time and attention that buying a fire or stove can require, we're increasing our opening hours during October and November.  We'll be opening on Sundays from 12-4pm starting on October 7 which we hope will give you more time to come and pay us a visit when it suits you. 

Customers are often surprised by the range of fires and stoves we have on offer when they come to the shop - it's a bit like a Tardis!.  We have four showrooms with a huge variety of modern, antique and reproduction fireplaces.  One showroom is dedicated to stoves with more than sixty models on show including a great selection of woodburners approved by Defra for use in London.

Westcombes opening hours 

Monday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm

Sundays during October and November - 12 - 4pm

Talking wood...

We've been selling kiln-dried logs at Westcombes for more than a year now, and we are completely converted.

When people have problems lighting fires and stoves, it's often a wood problem rather than a stove or fire problem, especially if they've been buying bags of logs from local garages.  We know it's often convenient to pick up a bag when you're filling up with petrol, but the logs may have been sitting out in the rain and aren't always seasoned.  When logs are cut they contain a surprising amount of water, and it can take up to two years for them to dry out properly.

It's harder to light damp wood, and the water means you get a smoky fire which produces more soot and tar.  This is not only less efficient and less environmentally friendly,  it can actually be dangerous - the soot and tar can clog the chimney, and that in turn can increase the risk of a chimney fire.

Our kiln-dried logs are sourced from sustainable British woodlands.  They're produced by Certainly Wood who air dry them before putting them into a wood-fired kiln to get rid of excess moisture.   We love them - and we're sure you will too!

We offer free local delivery on orders of ten bags of logs or more, and if you order twenty bags, we'll give you a free bag of logs too.  We also stock kindling and natural firelighters - why not give them a try and see what you think.

Gas safety

Next Monday marks the start of Gas Safety week, and a campaign aimed at educating people about how to ensure that their gas appliances are safe.  Here at Westcombes, we sell a range of gas fires and stoves and only recommend using properly qualified and registered fitters and installing a carbon monoxide alarm to ensure that your appliance is working properly.  We're proud to be the only fire and stove retailer in South East London approved by HETAS - the body which approves heating appliances, fuels and services.

When a fire or stove isn't properly fitted or doesn't work properly, it can leak carbon monoxide, posing a serious health hazard.  Carbon monoxide doesn't smell and can't be seen, so you may be completely unaware of the risk if you don't have an alarm.  Carbon monoxide causes headaches and dizziness, nausea and breathlessness and it can be fatal.

It's really important to use gas safely in your home and if you want more information, you can visit the Gas Safety Week website.

Can I burn logs and coal in London?

We've found that our customers are often quite confused about what they can and can't burn on fires and in stoves locally, so we thought we'd give you a brief explanation! 

Our area of South East London, along with most of the UK's large town and cities,  is designated as "smoke control areas" which means that you are not allowed to produce smoke emissions from your home.  These regulations were introduced after the thick smogs of the 1950s and 1960s.  At the time, coal was widely used to heat family homes and this contributed to the smogs which were a serious health hazard.  Controlling smoke emissions in urban areas made a real difference.

If you live in a smoke control area, you can only burn smokeless fuels (which means no wood and or normalcoal),  unless you have a stove which has been declared "exempt" by Defra.  At Westcombes, we stock a wide range of woodburning stoves which have been approved by Defra for use in smoke control zones as they produce very low emissions and are efficient and eco-friendly.  You can use coal on an open fire if it is an approved smokeless brand.

You can find more information about smoke control zones here, with details of where they are as well as exactly what you can and cannot burn. 

Now's the time to get your fire or stove

Just a quick reminder that this really is the ideal time to buy a stove or fireplace to be ready for the first chilly nights of the autumn.  It may seem strange to be thinking about stoves and fires when our summer has taken so long to arrive, but it's a great time to come and have a look at the huge range we've got on show in our shop and to take some time to talk to us about what might be right for you and your home. Then you can be sure you'll have your fire or stove installed ready for the autumn.

If you need any more encouragement, we've got some great special deals on fires and stoves in our summer sale so it really is a great time to come and pay us a visit - whilst making sure you're ahead of the game by beating the autumn rush!

Our showrooms are open here at Westcombes from 10-6 Monday through to Saturday