Recent national press articles have been published and are causing people unnecessary concerns over wood burning stoves. The following are some of the facts provided by the Stove Industry Alliance to help reassure customers by answering some valuable questions.
Recent national press articles have been published and are causing people unnecessary concerns over wood burning stoves. The following are some of the facts provided by the Stove Industry Alliance to help reassure customers by answering some valuable questions.
I’ve heard wood burning stoves might be banned?
There are no proposals to ban wood burning stoves, despite what some media headlines may have portrayed. The Ecodesign Regulation for solid fuel space heating appliances came into force in the UK on 1st January 2022 meaning all stoves manufactured and placed on the market from that date must comply with the efficiency and emissions levels set out within Ecodesign. This means modern wood burning stoves are more efficient and less polluting than ever before and offer a very low carbon, sustainable and renewable way to heat your home.
I’ve heard that wood burning stoves give off a lot of air pollution and particles.
All wood combustion will give off some particles but a modern stove burning the right fuel (e.g., Ready to Burn certified fuel) has very low levels of emissions. Based on independent test results from an accredited laboratory, a modern Ecodesign stove will produce up to 90% less emissions than an open fire.
Is wood a sustainable resource?
There is enough home-grown wood to ensure it is sustainable, and using wood for fuel is a sound environmental choice. Wood is plentiful, especially from a sustainable resource such as managed or coppiced forests, and its price is stable unlike some of the other limited resources in the world such as gas and oil. Furthermore, stoves meeting the Ecodesign Regulation are significantly more efficient than an open fire and therefore use less logs to generate the same heat output.
What is different about an Ecodesign stove?
These stoves have been independently tested to verify that they meet the Ecodesign test criteria that is now a legal requirement in the UK for all stoves manufactured and placed on the market since 1st January 2022. These stoves have been tested to ensure low outputs of four different types of emissions, CO (carbon monoxide), OGCs (organic gaseous compounds), PM (particulate matter) & NOx (nitrogen oxides). They also have to meet minimum efficiency levels.
Are wood burning stoves at all “green”?
Yes, wood burning stoves are a genuine renewable very low carbon method of heating, and modern stoves also have low levels of emissions. A key aspect here is the low carbon nature of wood burning, as the trees remove as much CO2 during their lives as they produce being burnt in a wood burning stove. A tree left to decompose in the forest will produce more CO than when it is burnt in an Ecodesign compliant stove or fireplace.
There are many consumer guides also published by the SIA available for further reading. Frequently Asked Questions - Stove Industry Alliance | SIA
SIA response to Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 - Stove Industry Alliance | SIAReady to Burn | Administered by Woodsure on behalf of Defra
