Brits Act to Heat Own Homes

British dads are taking action to keep their families and homes warm this winter as the energy crisis forces people to take steps to help themselves.

First, sales of woodburning stoves soared by 40 per cent. Now, it has emerged that chainsaws have seen a surge in demand – to cut wood for the stoves.

Retail giant Toolstation yesterday revealed that sales have rocketed by a third in recent weeks. The firm believes the increase is driven by customers using them to cut logs up for woodburners.

A spokesman for the firm, which has more than 500 UK stores, said: ‘During the last few weeks we’ve seen sales of chainsaws increase by a third.

‘We suspect the demand is being driven by customers firing up their chainsaws to cut logs and timber for woodburners as many try to soften the impact of energy hikes.’

The rush to buy chainsaws comes as families face the prospect of energy bills hitting record highs despite the new £2,500 price cap for a typical household. Woodburning stove sales leapt by 40 per cent between April to June to over 35,000 compared to 25,000 for the same period last year.

The Stove Industry Alliance said the trend ‘clearly indicates that consumers are taking action to help cushion themselves against spiralling home heating bills’.

If you are one of these people taking responsibility and seizing the initiative, good for you! But, be warned! Chainsaws make forestry one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. Treat your chainsaw with the respect such a potentially deadly tool deserves. Find out how to use it properly and safely. When moving around with a running saw, always apply the brake. Cut with the engine-end of the blade, not with the tip. Wear proper protective clothing, particularly helmet, gloves and boots. If you're going to fell trees, learn to do it properly, keep the fallen trunk between you and the blade as you brash up. Don't work alone.

To get the most from your saw and stove: Keep the saw sharp, with the teeth on either side filed evenly. Measure the fuel mixture carefully and don't use petrol that is stale. Learn how to take the blade off, de-burr it and put it back the other way up. Don't burn unseasoned wood. Use wood that burns hot and - especially if you've had the stove turned down to stay in for a long time, burn it hot and fast for a while with the damper open in order to clean soot off the glass so you can enjoy watching the flames and glowing embers.

Finally, remember: Wood warms you twice - once when you cut it, and then again when you burn it! Good luck, and enjoy your move towards basic energy independence. 

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