What CPL Distribution does

CPL Distribution, operating the Coals2U brand under the Homefire Group, is the UK's leading supplier of coal and firewood domestic fuels. The business traces its heritage to Charringtons (founded 1731) and was reconstituted in its modern form in 1997 through the merger of Charringtons and British Fuels. It manufactures at a single large facility in Immingham with annual production capacity of 75,000 tonnes, and distributes through more than 32 nationwide depots supported by a branded hand-delivery fleet.

The product range spans smokeless coals (including the Ecoal olive-stone fuel launched in 2009), kiln-dried logs, heat logs, BBQ charcoal, and garden products. In 2018, CPL installed the UK's first commercial-scale Hydrothermal Carbonisation (HTC) unit, enabling biofuel production from waste biomass and signalling a strategic pivot toward sustainable fuel categories. The company sells predominantly direct-to-consumer via its e-commerce platform and depot network, with a Subscribe & Save recurring order option supporting customer retention.

CPL monetises through unit-based retail pricing across multiple fuel SKUs, depot-level cash sales, and recurring subscription revenue. The end customer base of over 100,000 individual households is concentrated in residential heating, supplemented by leisure (BBQ) and outdoor (garden) use cases. The model is operationally asset-heavy, combining manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and last-mile delivery under a single vertically integrated structure.

Name

CPL Distribution

Legal name

Homefire Group Limited

Website

https://cpldistribution.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1731

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CPL Distribution is the UK's leading coal and firewood fuel supplier, operating the Coals2U brand across 32+ distribution depots and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform, serving over 100,000 households with smokeless coals, kiln-dried logs, BBQ charcoal, and garden products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solid Fuel Manufacturing and Distribution

NAICS

Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324), Fuel Dealers (457210)

SIC

Miscellaneous Products Of Petroleum & Coal (2990)

akta.pro primary industry

Coal & Petcoke Trading & Marketing (EUAGAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Biomass Fuel Wholesale & Retail Distribution (Bulk, Bagged, Residential Heating) (EUAAAJAJ), Biomass Pellets, Briquettes & Solid Bioenergy Products (industrial/residential) (IMAMALAJ)

Keywords

• Smokeless coal
• Firewood distribution
• Solid fuel manufacturing
• BBQ charcoal
• Garden aggregates

Headquarters

HQ city

Penzance

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Solid Fuel Product Sales: One-time purchase model for solid fuels including smokeless coal, firewood, heat logs, and charcoal products. Customers purchase bags, bulk bags, crates, or pallets of fuel with prices ranging from £3.25 to over £200 depending on product type and quantity. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Subscribe & Save Subscription: Recurring subscription service for regular fuel deliveries. Subscribers receive automatic deliveries at a frequency they select with stated percentage discounts off RRP. Minimum of two deliveries required to qualify for subscription discounts. Auto-charging of payment method for future orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CPL Distribution manufactures and distributes solid fuels for UK households, supplying smokeless coal (Homefire, Brazier, Phurnacite, Taybrite, Stoveheat, Ecoal, Wildfire, Anthracite variants), kiln-dried hardwood firewood, heat logs, BBQ charcoal and briquettes, firelighters, and garden/decorative aggregate products. Production is centred on an in-house plant at Immingham with proprietary formulations including Ecoal (crushed olive stones) and Coffee Briquettes (recycled coffee grounds). Products are sold direct-to-consumer through the coals2u.co.uk e-commerce site, a Subscribe & Save subscription programme, telephone ordering, a hand-delivery service to customer coal bunkers/log stores, and 40+ cash-and-carry depots across the UK.

Product overview

Coals2U by Homefire is the UK's leading coal and firewood fuel supplier, operating as an e-commerce platform selling solid fuels and related products. The company manufactures fuel at its Immingham plant and distributes through 32+ depots nationwide. The product portfolio centers on smokeless coals (Homefire, Brazier, Ecoal, Phurnacite, Taybrite, Stoveheat, Anthracite varieties, Wildfire, Surefire, Superheat), kiln-dried hardwood logs sold in various bag sizes and bulk quantities, heat logs including Shimada and Coffee Briquettes, BBQ products (lumpwood charcoal, briquettes, lighting fluid), firelighting products (kindling, Twizlers, Fibre-Lighters), garden products (compost, soil, bark), and decorative aggregates (slate and quartzite chippings). Products are available as individual items or in value bundles like the Multi-Fuel Burner Bundle and Log Burner Bundle. The company offers a subscription service (Subscribe & Save) and operates a network of Cash & Carry locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Homefire: Market leading smokeless fuels brand including Homefire Smokeless Coal, known for over 50 years as the nation's number one choice of smokeless fuel.
• Ecoal
• Brazier
• Phurnacite
• Taybrite
• Stoveheat
• Wildfire
• Surefire
• Superheat
• Homefire Coffee Briquettes

Products and services

• Homefire Smokeless Coal Market-leading smokeless fuel for open fires, multi-fuel stoves, room heaters, cookers and boilers, recognized as the UK's number one smokeless coal.
• Ecoal Smokeless Coal UK's first eco smokeless fuel made from crushed olive stones (a renewable waste product), producing less smoke, less CO2 and more heat than coal or wood.
• Homefire Brazier Smokeless Coal Clean burning, compact smokeless fuel designed for open fires and multi-fuel stoves, providing consistent heat and longer burn than house coal.
• Homefire Ovals Smokeless Coal Popular smokeless fuel for multi-fuel stoves and open fires, slow-burning ovals that pack together for maximum heat with minimum waste.
• Phurnacite Smokeless Coal Premium grade smokeless coal for cookers, room heaters and stoves, delivering long-lasting, consistent and controllable heat with a tight firebed.
• Taybrite Smokeless Coal Multi-purpose smokeless fuel for open fires, room heaters, multi-fuel stoves and boilers.
• Stoveheat Smokeless Coal Reliable alternative to premium Anthracite Nuts, ideal for closed appliances including room heaters, cookers, boilers and multi-fuel stoves.
• Anthracite Nuts Natural smokeless fuel ideal for cookers, boilers and other closed appliances.
• Homefire Instant Light Smokeless Coal Instant light smokeless coal requiring no additional kindling or firelighters, burning up to 38% hotter than house coal.
• Wildfire Smokeless Coal High-performance replacement for House Coal with a natural and attractive flame, suited for open fires and multi-fuel stoves.
• Surefire Smokeless Coal Smokeless coal product line available for delivery in Scotland only.
• Superheat Smokeless Coal Smokeless coal product line available for delivery in Scotland only.
• Kiln Dried Hardwood Logs Premium kiln-dried hardwood logs dried to under 20% moisture, Ready to Burn certified, available in grab bag, large handy bag, bulk bags (0.6m3, 0.8m3, 1m3, 1.6m3), standard crate and large crate formats.
• Homefire Heat Logs (Shimada) High-energy next-generation heat logs made from compressed wood, providing attractive flame and sustained heat output.
• Homefire Coffee Briquettes Sustainable biomass fuel made from compressed ground coffee beans collected from coffee shops, burning hotter and longer than traditional wood with lower emissions.
• Eco Fire Logs Premium quality fire logs made from compressed wood for sustainability, producing smokeless flames.
• Homefire Instant Light Fire Logs Instant light fire logs in bag format that burn for 2–3 hours and require no firelighters or kindling.
• Homefire Lumpwood Charcoal FSC certified lumpwood charcoal with no added chemicals, providing authentic BBQ taste with consistent heat.
• Homefire Barbecue Briquettes BBQ briquettes made from high-quality crushed lumpwood charcoal, burning evenly and lasting longer for BBQ cooking.
• Homefire Charcoal Lighting Fluid Odourless BBQ lighting fluid for quick and easy charcoal ignition with safe handling.
• Restaurant Grade Lumpwood Charcoal Premium restaurant grade lumpwood charcoal for authentic BBQ taste, sold in 12kg bags.
• Homefire Supapak Kindling 100% natural firelighters designed for easy fire starting across all fire types.
• Homefire Twizlers Wood Wool Natural Firelighters Natural wood wool firelighters for easy fire ignition.
• Homefire Fibre-Lighters Natural Firelighters Natural firelighters for safe and easy fire starting.
• Multi-Fuel Burner Bundle Bundle containing Ecoal Smokeless Fuel, Large Bag Kiln Dried Logs, Shimada Heat Logs, Supapak Kindling and Twizlers natural firelighters.
• Log Burner Bundle Complete bundle for log fires containing Kiln Dried Logs, Shimada Heat Logs, Supapak Kindling and Twizlers Natural Firelighters.
• Smokeless Coal Sample Pack Sample pack of popular smokeless coals allowing customers to try different products.
• Anthracite Beans Natural smokeless fuel for solid fuel appliances such as gravity and hopper-fed boilers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 80% less smoke and 25% less CO2 compared to traditional house coal
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Oxford Charcoal: UK BBQ charcoal and lumpwood supplier targeting both retail consumers and restaurants. Directly competes with Homefire Lumpwood and Restaurant Grade Charcoal in the outdoor cooking and HoReCa channels.
• Tamar Valley Firewood: UK supplier of kiln-dried logs and firewood products based in the southwest. Directly comparable in product category, UK residential customer segment, and Ready to Burn certified firewood positioning, competing with CPL's logs business in overlapping geographies.
• Certainly Wood: UK-based supplier of kiln-dried hardwood logs and firewood products, directly competing with CPL Distribution's kiln-dried logs line. Both target UK households with wood burners and stoves and emphasize Ready to Burn certification and low moisture content.
• The Firewood Company: UK-based firewood and logs supplier offering kiln-dried hardwood with national delivery. Directly comparable to CPL's kiln-dried logs business in product format, customer segment, and distribution model.
• Premier Fuels: UK solid fuel distributor selling smokeless coal, house coal, and related heating fuels to residential and commercial customers. Directly comparable to CPL's core coal merchant business with overlapping smokeless coal SKUs and similar delivery-led distribution.
• Big K Products: UK manufacturer and supplier of BBQ charcoal, briquettes, and firelighting products. Directly competes with Homefire Lumpwood Charcoal and BBQ Briquettes across the UK outdoor cooking category, serving similar retail and HoReCa customers.
• Düroc Firewood: UK-based premium firewood supplier focused on kiln-dried hardwood logs for residential wood burners. Overlaps directly with CPL Distribution's kiln-dried logs range in customer base (UK households with stoves), product format, and delivery-led distribution model.
• Loggerheads Firewood: UK firewood supplier specializing in kiln-dried logs and kindling for stoves and open fires. Comparable to CPL's logs and firelighting product lines, targeting the same UK residential wood-burner customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Kingsford Charcoal: Largest US charcoal brand (owned by Clorox), sold through UK retail channels as a broad incumbent in the BBQ briquette category. Overlaps with CPL's BBQ briquettes and Homefire Lumpwood in the outdoor cooking segment, though as a multi-category incumbent rather than a UK specialist.
• Calor Gas: UK's largest LPG supplier, also referenced by CPL through a Calor Gas page on coals2u.co.uk. A broader incumbent in off-grid residential heating energy serving UK households and businesses with an alternative fuel category competing indirectly with solid fuels for heating share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CPL Distribution