A masonry heater costs more to buy than a production wood stove, and less to run. Here is what lies behind those two statements, with the only figures we can stand by.
What it costs
A bespoke masonry heater, installation and commissioning included, most often comes to between €15,000 and €20,000 incl. VAT — VAT at 5.5% (the reduced French rate) for renovation, 20% for new builds. A Finnish kit, assembled by you or by a builder from our network, ranges from €5,000 to €15,000 incl. VAT depending on the model and the installation. Every project is priced after the study, never before.
What makes up the price: the storage mass to be built, and so the volume to heat and the autonomy wanted between two fires; the cladding, from render to stove tiles; the options — heated bench, oven, boiler, controller; and the flue, to be created or refurbished, which is priced separately.
What it saves
- Wood. A brisk, complete fire gets more energy out of each log than a slow one, and the heat that used to go up the flue stays in the mass. The annual quantity depends on the house — volume, insulation, routine — and the study works it out, not a brochure.
- Electricity. A masonry heater runs without pumps or fans; an electronic controller, where there is one, uses about as much as a clock.
- Time. One or two burns a day, and nothing in between: no reloading, no adjusting.
- Maintenance. Two sweepings a year, a check of the seals, a glass cleaned with ash. The wearing parts are known in advance: seals, glass, firebox bricks.
What we do not promise: a percentage saving on your bill, or a payback period. They depend on what you heat with today, on your house and on your wood. We estimate them with you, figures in hand, at the study stage.
Grants
Thermasse holds the RGE Qualibois Air module qualification (RGE: French ‘reconnu garant de l’environnement’ label), which opens access to certain energy-renovation grants — subject to conditions on income, dwelling and appliance, which change often. We do not promise them in general: we check your eligibility at the study stage, and tell you what it is worth. The Guarantees and qualifications page gives the qualification number and where to check it.
Going further
How to choose your masonry heater explains what determines the mass and the output; the study of your project leads to a price.