Today’s announcement that the energy price cap will rise again from October is another reminder of the vulnerability of household energy bills to fluctuations in global energy markets.

Ofgem has confirmed that from 1st October the price cap for a typical household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity will increase by 4%, from £1,663 to £1,723 a year – an increase of £60. Around 22 million households are covered by the cap.

Ofgem says the increase reflects higher wholesale gas prices, with volatile global gas markets remaining the dominant driver of price changes. Most of the increase is being driven by gas, with gas bills under the cap rising by 8%.

For households with a modern wood burning stove, the ability to use a second, independent source of heat can provide valuable flexibility over how and when they heat their homes.

Modern stoves are typically used as secondary heating rather than as a replacement for a household’s primary heating system. Used in this way, they allow people to heat the room in which they spend most of their time without necessarily having to heat the whole house, helping households to manage their use of other, increasingly expensive, heating fuels.

They also provide something increasingly important in an uncertain energy market: resilience.

Locally sourced wood fuel provides a renewable heating option that is not directly dependent on international gas markets or electricity prices, giving households greater choice and control over their home heating.

As we approach another winter of higher energy costs, the Stove Industry Association believes that energy policy should recognise the value of a diverse mix of domestic heating technologies. For the many households that already own a modern wood burning stove, using it responsibly with good quality dry wood can form a practical part of managing both home comfort and heating expenditure.