„Wood heating is obsolete.“ Sound familiar? That's not a view that came around yesterday or even five years ago. That's exactly what the Chimney Sweep wrote in 1936. But even after nearly a century, wood has not disappeared from the stove.

It was clear even then that a well-designed fireplace, quality wood and the right heating method could ensure high efficiency and low emissions - exactly what we are building a modern approach to heating on today.

„Not long ago, wood heating was considered obsolete...“ - so began the article, which then went on to measure the temperatures, calorific value and the amount of ash. It showed that a properly managed fire could reach over 950 °C and heat reliably even without coal or gas.

Why then do we have a constant need to believe that everything old is necessarily worse and that progress always and in all circumstances means change? History is full of examples to the contrary.

For example, the bicycle - it's over five thousand years old, and yet we haven't come up with anything to replace it. We still use the round shape on vehicles of all kinds. We have improved the materials, the shapes, the bearings - but the principle remains.

So is paper - despite digital technology, printed books are still coming out. And they still have something that the screen can't-the smell, the rustle of the paper as the pages turn, and a story that we can keep on our shelf in plain sight and reach for at any time.

But we could find many more examples. We are gradually returning to a number of tried and tested things that we thought were outdated. They are becoming modern again, and in some cases a luxury. Take gramophone records, for example. We thought they were dead with the advent of CDs and MP3s, but in recent years they've enjoyed a renaissance. So do mechanical watches with hands, fountain pens, gardening or repairing and reusing things.

Progress is not about throwing out the old stuff. Real progress is about improving the good old basics where it makes sense - not mindlessly replacing them just because a new fashion has just come along.

So does wood heating. Yes, technology has changed - we have more efficient stoves, cleaner burning, the ability to use pellets or briquettes. But the basic principle that a piece of wood from a nearby forest can reliably provide heat for a long time remains. And that's something that no modern replacement can erase.

So when someone says that wood heating is passé today, let's remember - the same was said a hundred years ago. And just like a bicycle, a book or a violin, wood will stay where it belongs.