I think its time to get the old fire place working again..
I wont pay carbon tax on heating and I will be producing carbon.....
....go figure....
It would be ironic if the carbon tax forced people to turn to older methods that produce more carbon dioxide in order to avoid price rises that have been caused by the tax.
In regards to local councils banning the use of fireplaces, do they have the right to stop you? Could a council officer enter your house or fine you for lighting a fire in your fireplace?
I think they are banned in my area, and they had some scheme a few years ago to reduce the cost of a gas heater to replace them.
Good riddance. I like wood fires, but in a city, they are not needed. It means that everyone else has to put up with the smell of burning wood.
In the country, why not, although I stayed in one place where everyone used wood fires, and the whole town stunk.
The best thing to burn in open fires are election junk mail fliers.... they give out SO MUCH hot air, just like the politicians that send them to you.
Regardless of whether you light your fireplace up, or put on a snuggy...we will all pay for every new tax the gov't puts out there...either directly or indirectly. That's the system we live in, and will always be unless there is a coup and the gov't is overthrown - which in Aus is very unlikely as our country is built on "she'll be right mate" and out gov't is nowhere near as corrupt as many others that also have no chance of being overthrown.
Just watch you don't go up into the hills and cut up trees that contain die-back. Cant beat a wood-fire. I have lots of wood to burn but you might want to think about slow combustion if your going to install one.Im a fan like the smell the warmth and the look cosy as!;-)
Major disadvantages is the cost they have to be installed by certified people for insurance requirements incase it burns the house down .
You still have to take cooling into consideration (spend money on air-conditioning) depending on your house size youd be looking at 3 grand installed for a slow combustion.
The heat from a wood fire also gets to your ceiling and causes the panels to drop and the strapping to move.
I believe the best option would be reverse cycle system and solar panels for the Kudos. .
lay pavers,sink bores reticulation seed and develop key infrastructure outside before flooring.Cant be bothered scrubbing the 400 square meters of grout every 3 months