Coal actually isn't too bad in terms of cost per delivered kWh for heat produced, it's cheaper than oil or gas. Electricity is the worst, costing over 4 times as much as gas heating. Burning coal with an open fire, leads to a lot of heat being lost up the chimney, so with a stove it’s understandably more heat efficient.
As for an open fire place without doubt Polish Coal is far superior above all others in terms of heat output. Polish coal is bituminous and can only be used outside smokeless areas.
If you are looking for a simple sturdy coal bunker then contact Household.ie as we sell the one in the photo with this article.
From a stove point of view smokeless coal burnt in a stove is clean to use and will do no harm to the chimney or liner. Smoky coal on the other hand is very dirty and will do damage your stove over time Another alternative is ecoglo which is similar to cosyglo which burns longer and doesn’t choke the grate with ash. Of course firewood is a very good alternative, which has very low ash content - less cleaning out. Ensure that use very low moisture content wood - 'kiln dried' firewood or special 'heat briquettes' are best to ensure the glass remains clean.
If you are interested in updating your fireplace to add a back boiler or updating it to a stove system, then why not post a job on household to get quotes from Handymen.
Also if your chimney needs cleaning then post a request for quotes on household.ie
