Black Coal

How Much Coal is Needed For Winter?

Coal is a great way to heat your house in winter. Coal burns hotter than other types of fuel and is one of the oldest and most important energy sources in the world. On a cold day, there’s nothing more warming than a hot coal fire dancing with flames. But how much should you buy to get you through the chilly winter months?

One thing is certain, you don’t want to run out of coal on a cold day. It can also be difficult to get out and buy fresh supplies during a deep freeze. It is a good idea to stockpile coal for the cold months and to work out how much you’ll need to keep the fires burning.

How much will you use?

If you kept a check on your usage from last winter, this is the best place to start. Winters vary in severity but a particularly cold winter will see most people burning a little more coal than they normally would. Consider the severity of the last winter and your usage to estimate how much will be enough for the coming cold months.

How much coal your fires will use depends on lots of factors. The size of the fire, how many fires, the size of the area to heat and your personal preferences about what is a comfortable temperature all factor in. As a rough guide, a 25 kg bag might get you anywhere from 4 to 8 lit fires.

What’s your budget?

Pretty straightforward, how much you can buy depends on how much you can afford. Like most things in life, it’s usually cheaper to buy in bulk but that also depends on how much space you have in which to store the coal.

Remember, coal can become useless if it’s not stored properly so it’s not usually a good idea to spend all your winter budget in one go in case something does go wrong. Essentially, giving a little thought to your budget, usage levels and storage space is the best way to decide how much you need.