Recent headlines have misinterpreted the Governments 2019 Clean Air Strategy 

This has resulted in a lot of public confusion regarding stoves & fires.

It is important to know that the figures published regarding poor air quality in relation to wood-burning stoves are taking into account open fires & older stoves. An eco-design stove gives off 90% less particulate emissions than an open fire & 80% less than a 10 year old non-defra stove.

 

To keep things short stoves & fires are not being banned! Although some changes are coming, for example, the phasing out of certain fuels, i.e. High sulfur content house coal & low-quality smokeless fuel. And the introduction of ecodesign wood/multifuel stoves.  

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Are they banning stoves & fires?

          - No, however the new legislation does state that from 2022 all stoves sold need to be Ecodesign approved models. 

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Do I need to buy an Ecodesign model stove now? 

        - No, Until 2022 customers are not required to purchase ecodesign ready stoves, it is only from January 2022 that retailers will be required to only supply ecodesign ready products. 

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Are they banning the burning of wood & solid fuels? 

     NO  - The new clean air strategy does ban certain fuels, raw house coal, low quality smokeless fuels and wet wood. All of the nasty stuff you wouldn't want to burn anyway as it blackens the stove glass and damages stove/flue components. The government wants an educated approached to solid fuel, burning at a sensible pace with dry wood or good quality smokeless fuel (Ecoal-50). If you purchase your wood pre-bagged look for the 'ready to burn' logo on the bag. If you season your own wood or buy from a tree surgeon you should invest in a moisture meter to check it is below 20% moisture before burning.

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Can I carry on using my existing stove after 2022?

      - Yes, the new strategy does not state there will be a ban on the use of pre-installed appliances, or the need to modify your appliance. However, recommendations do state that care should be taken to only burn the correct fuels and to keep on top of yearly chimney sweeping.

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What is ECODESIGN? 

     - Any product bearing the ecodesign ready label meets or exceeds the forthcoming stringent EU targets for emissions. These products are the next generation of clean-burning low emission fires and have been recognised as a key part of the clean air strategy by DEFRA. Eco-design stoves have been supported by the government as a positive move towards improving air quality.

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How does the new legislation affect open fires? 

      - From 2022 the sale of open fires as a heating appliance will be banned outright. This is due to very poor efficiency and high emissions output. Most shops including ourselves already discontinued open fires years ago due to this issue and other safety issues. The majority of hetas installers already refuse to fit open fires. 

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If you feel you need any more information and would like us to bore you some more please give us a call! We're always happy to help. 

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