Better than gas: How to choose the cheapest briquettes and coal for heating.

Ukrainians living in private homes and heating them independently use gas, coal, firewood, or briquettes for this purpose. Most modern solid fuel boilers are designed for these types of fuel. Gas is very convenient for heating, but it is not the cheapest option.

The most economical way to heat a home is with firewood, but its heat output greatly depends on the quality and type of wood as well as its moisture content. An alternative to firewood is coal and fuel briquettes. "News.LIVE" has discussed their varieties and prices.

Heating with Coal

Coal is a type of fossil fuel formed from the remains of ancient plants that are located deep underground and have been subjected to high temperatures and pressure for millions of years. It is one of the most popular energy sources in the world. In addition to heating, coal is widely used for electricity generation and steel production.

Coal prices in Ukraine:

• anthracite (the best choice for domestic use) – from 14,000 to 20,000 UAH/ton;
• long flame coal (a good option in terms of price and quality) – from 9,000 to 15,000 UAH/ton;
• wood charcoal (has high heat-generating ability) – from 8,200 to 14,800 UAH/ton.

Heating with Briquettes

Fuel briquettes are an alternative to traditional firewood and coal. They can be used in fireplaces, stoves, solid fuel boilers, and other solid fuel heating devices.

Briquettes are made from waste products of the woodworking and food industries. One of their main advantages is the high combustion temperature. It is 1.5 to 2 times higher than that of regular firewood. Fuel briquettes can be made from sawdust, rice husks, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds. Straw and peat are also used in their production. Briquettes are produced without glue or other binding agents. Their strength and shape are achieved through intense pressing and maximum drying.

The drawback of this type of fuel is that briquettes can easily crumble in high humidity. Therefore, they should only be stored in a dry and well-ventilated area.

The best briquettes made from sawdust are maximally close to firewood in terms of heat-generating properties, ignite quickly, and produce minimal soot in the heating system. Briquettes made from sunflower husks contain a lot of vegetable oil. After just a few weeks of use, they can significantly "clog" the chimney and other elements of the system. Briquettes made from coniferous species burn well and quickly warm the house, but due to their high resin content, they also require more frequent cleaning of the heating system.

Prices for fuel briquettes in Ukraine.

• sunflower husk briquettes – from 4,000 to 6,500 UAH/ton;
• oak briquettes – from 6,500 to 8,500 UAH/ton;
• pine briquettes – from 6,500 to 7,800 UAH/ton;
• birch briquettes – from 6,500 to 8,000 UAH/ton.

Previously, "Telegraph" discussed whether it is worth turning off heating at night. Instead of saving money, you might encounter problems.