HETAS Certified · Multi-Fuel
One appliance, two fuel options, burn seasoned hardwood when you want the ritual, approved smokeless when you want overnight heat. Installed to HETAS standards, certified, and guaranteed.
20+ years installing across Windsor & Berkshire · HETAS 3869 · Written quote within 24–48 hours.
20+ yrs
Installing in Windsor & Berkshire
HETAS
Registered installers (3869)
£5m
Zurich Public Liability cover
12 mo
Workmanship guarantee minimum
24–48h
Fixed written quote turnaround
Overview
What it is
A multi-fuel stove is a solid fuel appliance built with a riddling grate and dedicated ashpan so it can safely burn both seasoned wood and approved smokeless mineral fuels. Installation covers the same rigorous chimney, hearth and flue engineering as a wood burner, with the added flexibility of two fuel sources.
Who it is for
It suits Berkshire homeowners who want the flexibility of a wood fire for weekends but the sustained overnight burn of manufactured smokeless briquettes on cold weekday nights. Popular with rural properties on the Windsor–Maidenhead–Cookham axis where log supply is reliable and buying smokeless in bulk is straightforward.
When to book
Consider a multi-fuel install if you want a single stove to cover shoulder-season log fires and deep-winter overnight heat, if your local air-quality area restricts open-vented wood burning at times, or if you already keep smokeless coal for another appliance and want to consolidate.
Why professional help matters
Multi-fuel stoves are more mechanically complex than pure wood burners, the grate assembly, ashpan and airwash all need correct spec and clearance. A designer-led install matched to your chimney and heat-loss numbers is what makes the difference between a stove that runs beautifully for twenty years and one that eats grates.
If it's ignored
Solid mineral fuel burns hotter than wood. Burnt on a flat wood-only base plate it warps the steel and voids the warranty inside a season. A proper multi-fuel install means the right appliance with the right grate, not a wood stove sold as 'ok for smokeless'.
Multi-fuel stoves run harder overnight than wood burners. Without correctly sized primary and airwash controls, the glass tars up and the room fills with smoke on the reload. Fixable in design, not after.
Under the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) Regulations, only approved smokeless fuels may be burned. We commission every stove with the correct fuel list for your appliance and area, and make sure you leave with it written down.
Our process
The same disciplined sequence on every project, whether it's a Georgian townhouse in Windsor or a new-build media wall in Ascot.
01
Chris visits your home to measure the chimney, hearth, room volume and ventilation. We inspect the flue, discuss aesthetics and confirm what is achievable in your specific property, from Georgian townhouses to sealed new-build breasts.
02
Every line item priced: stove, flue components, hearth, chamber works, building control. Potential extras (unforeseen chimney issues, structural adjustments) are itemised in advance so the number you sign off is the number you pay.
03
We refine the stove choice, materials, chamber finish and flue route with you. Deposit: cost of the stove plus 50% of installation, secures your slot within 72 hours of quote acceptance.
04
Dust sheets and protection go down first. Our HETAS-registered team completes the install to Building Regulations, cleans as we go, and treats your home like our own, no shortcuts, no mess left behind.
05
Smoke test, draw test, first light with you present, plus a full walk-through of controls, fuel and maintenance. HETAS certificate issued to you and your insurer. 12-month workmanship guarantee starts the day we leave.
The benefit
Six specific, measurable outcomes we deliver on every job. No vague marketing claims.
Correctly loaded smokeless briquettes hold usable heat for eight to ten hours, wake up to a room that still feels warm.
Switch fuels by the day depending on what you have in and what the weather is doing.
Every appliance we recommend meets the current emissions standards and is legal in smoke-control areas of Berkshire.
Quick, clean ash management, no shovelling from the firebox, no dust across the hearth.
Multi-fuel bodies are engineered for higher combustion temperatures and hold up under daily winter use.
Installed and certified to the same Building Regs standard as any wood burner, one paper trail for your insurer.
Deep detail
The engineering, materials and decisions behind the finished job.
Not every 'multi-fuel' badge is equal. We specify appliances where the grate, throat plate and airwash are genuinely engineered for both fuels, Heta, Hunter, Parkray, Mendip, Dean Forge and Hergom lead the field. Selection follows a room heat-loss calculation and chimney draw measurement, not showroom preference.
The riddling grate must sit at the correct height with the correct ashpan clearance to allow combustion air under the fuel bed. We size hearth thickness and non-combustible clearances to BS 8303, factoring in the higher radiant temperatures of smokeless fuel.
We install 904-grade stainless flexi-liners as standard on multi-fuel installs, 316-grade is fine for wood-only but is more prone to acid corrosion when burning solid fuel long-term. Liner warranty extends 15–30 years depending on manufacturer.
Handover covers approved fuel list for your postcode, correct lighting technique for each fuel, riddling routine, ash disposal and how often to sweep. You are not handed keys and left guessing, every customer gets a written care sheet.
Recent installations
Every image below is a job we finished, no stock photography, no staged sets. Full portfolio on our work page.
Frequently asked
Installation starts from £1,700 excluding the stove where an existing chimney and hearth are suitable. Multi-fuel appliances themselves typically sit £100–£300 above equivalent wood-only models. Every quote is fixed and written within 24–48 hours of survey.
No. Under current UK regulations only approved smokeless fuels may be used domestically. We give you the exact list of approved products for your appliance on handover.
The riddling grate needs occasional replacement over the stove's life (typically every 5–10 years depending on use) and we recommend annual sweeping regardless of fuel. Otherwise servicing intervals are the same as a wood-only stove.
On wood, efficiency is essentially identical. On smokeless fuel, efficiency is high (often 80%+) with the added benefit of a much longer burn cycle.
Yes: every multi-fuel installation we complete is HETAS-certified to Building Regulations under our registration 3869, and the certificate goes to you and your insurer.
Minimum 12-month workmanship guarantee on the installation, 15–30 year manufacturer warranty on flue components, and 5-year to lifetime warranty on the stove body depending on brand.
In some cases: a small number of stoves accept a retrofit multi-fuel grate kit. More often, if you genuinely need multi-fuel capability, replacing with a purpose-built appliance is safer and cheaper long-term.
Yes. Windsor, Eton and the surrounding villages have significant listed and conservation-area stock and we handle those installs regularly, including managing planning and Building Control where required.
Related services
Areas we serve
Next step
Chris personally attends every survey, measures the chimney, discusses the design, and prices every line item transparently. No sales pressure. No hidden extras on invoice day.
