Alternative to wood burner, rural area

[PennyDiamond]

We live in a rural hamlet. No gas. Currently oil heating & hot water, but changing to air source heat pump soon (properly assessed as suitable, family member in the trade).

Planning to put a wood burner in the living room as a backup in case of power cuts, but having read the information lately about particulates and pollution am stuck on what to do.

What would you do/have you done in such a situation?

I live in a Scottish village. We reached minus 18C last winter.
I have in a previous winter had ten days with no heating - unable to get a spare part for the gas boiler as the plumbers merchants were shut for ten days over Xmas/New Year. It was only bearable because of my open log fire, and there is no way I would live here without it as back up.
Even a ten hour power cut causes a severe drop in temp indoors, with no power to the gas heating’s circulator pump.

I would definitely have the wood burner as a back up, even if you don’t use it much it’s always there if you have a power cut/ breakdown of the heating system.

The way things are going with the energy/ fuel market I can see power cuts/ shortages being a more regular thing in the coming years.

Woodburner provides light not just heat. #VictimOfManyAPowerCut

To use Calor gas cylinders -- do you need electricity to use that for the boiler?

Do Calor Gas cylinders for heating lead to the poor indoor air quality associated with open gas fires or hobs?

I lived where a burner was the only heat source. Indoor air quality is affected every time you open the door so I had a decent size fire box, filled it with fuel and closed off the dampener once it was going and it stayed in all night. There's some fuel available made from olive pips which seems pretty decent all things considered. If you can incorporate a back boiler that's a good option for secondary hot water, but not sure how many things can be combined with a heat pump system.

Go for the log burner. You don't have to use it unless it is an emergency.

Backups when you live in the country are always a good idea.

@TheNoonBell Umm, this thread is THREE years old.

We are in the sticks and on oil with a log burner. The log burner has been a life saver if there are any probs getting oil delivered. We use kiln dried logs and have an air purifier in the living room.

Once you get into the swing, you can order a pallet of logs in summer (cheaper) and store them in a dry log store until you need them. Last autumn and winter we spent most days downstairs so pretty much heated the house with the log burner until the evening. It’s easier to manage heating costs that way and it takes away that slight anxiety you have when “dipping the oil tank” to see how you’re doing!

Also, depending on what sort of people you are, the cosy value is immense. Nothing better on a cold day than the burner going with a good film on.

Ooops! I missed that too 😫

In our last place we had a wood grate, but though this place has 2 super old chimneys and fireplaces, we have reluctantly accepted we'd be wrong to reinstate them.
Currently were thinking electric- but most of them are horrible, far too flickery. So far, the 'Optimist' ones that Dimplex do are being considered. Not decided yet. They look good on videos, but we have to find a place with actual ones we can see before deciding.