How many m2 can a 6kW pellet stove heat?

You've found the ideal pellet stove and now you're wondering what wattage to buy - 6kW, 8kW or 10kW or more?

A 6kW pellet stove is suitable for heating a 100m2 house, provided it meets RT2012 standards.

If, however, your house is RT2005, i.e. the previous thermal standard, or even older, then it's best to opt for a more powerful stove of at least 10kW.

Calculate the volume and surface area a 6kW pellet stove can heat

Let's take a look at how to achieve this result with a simple calculation and a few orders of magnitude.

First of all, it's important to know that in France, and in any other country with a similar climate, the following approximate heating requirement values are considered (to give an idea):

	Thermal sieve	Standard insulation	Excellent insulation (RT 2012)
Mild climate (oceanic, Mediterranean)	40 W / m3	35 W / m3	25 W / m3
Temperate climate (gradated, semi-continental)	50 W / m3	40 W / m3	30 W / m3
Cold climate (mountains)	60 W / m3	50 W / m3	40 W / m3

If we consider a standard ceiling height of 2.5m and a house of 100m2, good insulation and a temperate climate, with a value of 25W / m3 and therefore a total requirement of 25 x 2.5 x 100 = 6250W

This value is about 6kW.

But French homes are far from being all RT2012. On January 1, 2022, only 1.5 million French homes were classified with an A or B energy label, and therefore met RT2012 requirements.

At the other end of the scale, just over 5 million homes were energy passoires (F and G on the DPE). And the remaining 22 million homes fall somewhere in between.

As we can see, with standard insulation, the power required is much higher. For an RT 2005 dwelling in the Vosges (cold climate), you'd need a heating capacity of 50 x 2.5 x 100 = 12500W, i.e. twice as much as in our first case.

In this situation, it's best to take advantage of grants for external insulation to insulate first, reduce heating requirements and meet RT2012 and even RT2020 standards.

Which 6kW pellet stove to choose?

Will 6kW be enough for you? If so, here are 3 brands of pellet stoves for you to consider for your wood heating:

Nordica Extraflamme

The Nordica Extraflamme brand originated in Italy in 1968. Its CE-certified pellet stoves deliver outputs ranging from 4kW to 16kW, enough to heat all types of more or less well-insulated single-family homes.

The Prestige Line in particular offers pellet stoves with a very modern look. The DEBBY PLUS CX EVO, for example, delivers between 3 and 9kW of power to heat up to 258m3 (approx. 100m2 depending on ceilings). This is exactly the model you're looking for if you need 6kW. It handles your heating needs with ease, and can even provide maximum comfort in the coldest weather.

Read our Nordica review

Jolly Mec pellet stove

Another Italian brand founded in 1968 in Lombardy by Emilio Manenti. Its pellet stoves can heat both small and very large areas, since the largest pellet stove can provide up to 28kW of heating power.

In any case, the Globo model is perfect for 6kW, just as much as the Bridge model. They'll both keep you warm under any circumstances.

Read our review of Jolly Mec

Seguin wood stoves

Finally, the Seguin brand from the Seguin Duteriez group, created in Auvergne in 1985, is a French leader in wood heating and also offers pellet stoves suitable for 6kW and even more.

If their trademark is the IHS control system, which enables real-time analysis of combustion status, they are just as good in terms of the quality of the materials used to manufacture their pellet stoves.

This French brand offers 3 models of pellet stoves suitable for "small" houses, with a 6 kW output.

These are the P120T, the P120 and the P920M. Three similar pellet stoves with a contemporary design to suit modern interiors. All three are A+ rated, but we won't say more about Seguin's prices, as this is a big secret that the brand wishes to keep to avoid any inconsistencies for its many dealers.

To find out more about the Seguin brand, read our review here