Whats a Soba??

[KKOB]

We found that the important thing is insulation. Not necessarily the whole house but, if you've got open-plan, installing doors, curtains, anything really to keep the warmth in while still maintaining air-flow. We used air-con for short periods to get the temperature up together with oil-filled electric radiators to maintain the temperature. We also had an open fire, and for 4 or 5 winters a soba, because we had our own renewable firewood supply.

I don't know the cost of running oil-filled electric radiators, but if used in moderation, they're not hugely expensive.

[BernieTeyze]

Thanks kkob, we have an L shaped lounge/kitchen on 1st floor, it has a lounge door. Then downstairs to beds n bathrooms. Hopefully it will make it easier to heat.

[Karennina]

What about those Halogen type heaters you can buy in Turkey, my neighbours who live in Turkey had them in their home in the winter, I think they give off quite a bit of heat...
 

[kevin3]

Turkish friends have told us a lot of the locals use electric blankets on the
settees and armchairs in the winter. Cheap to buy and very cheap to run.

[tuzlachap]

We had a new "Soba" installed this Summer. Be sure to have  the chimney you are going to use checked out by the installation engineer. We had three chimneys of which only one was useable. This was due to the builders not knocking off the cement 'snots' on the joints. Our guy ended up raising and dropping a 5 kilo weight attached to rope to make enough clearence for the liner.

That apart everything went well and we now have a wood burner that not only heats the rooms (and us) but Mrs Tuzlahap can bake her bread and cakes in as well.

TC