Pellet & wood burner

Many people enjoy the traditional look of a roaring fireplace in the living room, but until recently wood burners have not been the most environmental option. The latest models however are very efficient at heating the home without causing unnecessary harmful emissions.

wood and pellet burners

How they work

Traditional wood burners burn logs in the conventional way and are usually front-loading. They have become more environmentally friendly over the past few years, so opt for the newest model you can afford. You should always use dry wood as damp wood doesn’t burn cleanly and contributes to pollution.

Before installing a wood or pellet burner, consider the overall thermal envelope of the home. There may be things you need to do to increase energy-efficiency and heat retention before investing in a wood burner.

Pellet burners burn special pellets made from recycled sawmill waste such as wood shavings and sawdust. The pellets are loaded into the back of the unit and automatically fed into the fire, meaning you can control the rate and intensity of the fire. The pellets burn extremely cleanly with low emissions, making pellet burners the best environmental option for an indoors fire.

Why they’re good


  • Comforting source of heat
  • Low carbon emissions (pellet burners)
  • Cheap to run (particularly wood burners)
  • Can be fitted with a wetback to heat water, increasing overall energy-efficiency and power savings

We recommend:

The Government’s national environmental standards for air quality state that all wood burners installed on properties less than 2 hectares must have a discharge of less than 1.5 grams of particles for each kilogram of dry wood burnt, and a thermal efficiency of at least 65%.

Consult the local council to find out which wood or pellet burners are approved for use in your area. Not all wood burners can be installed in residential homes; the Ministry for the Environment publishes a list of nationally authorised wood burners on their website.

Talk to Right House about assessing the heating and comfort needs of your home to find the right heating solution.

We are authorised suppliers and installers of:



The systems supplied by Right House comply with the Christchurch Clear Air Standards. 

To find out more about wood and pellet burners download our Fact Sheet: Localised Heat Sources.