The Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) is urging homeowners to consider replacing their older stoves and open fires for an advanced Ecodesign Ready model to help improve air quality and significantly reduce particulate emissions.

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Independent tests* by Kiwa show that advanced Ecodesign Ready stoves produce up to 90% less emissions than open fires and up to 80% less than older, very basic stove models.

Chair of the SIA, Morley Sage, commented: “With challenging air quality targets established by the Clean Air Strategy and the spotlight on domestic emissions, the simple act of replacing an older, basic stove or an open fire can lead to a significant reduction in particulate emissions and an improvement in air quality. Furthermore, burning wood provides a low carbon and sustainable heating in line with the Clean Growth Strategy and meeting the UK’s carbon targets.”

Figures from the BEIS Domestic Wood Survey published in 2016 show that open fires and older stoves account for over 51% of the UK’s annual wood fuel consumption. In London it is estimated that 70% of wood that is being burnt for domestic heating is being used on open fires.

It takes less than a third of the amount of logs to produce the same amount of heat** on an Ecodesign Ready stove than it does on an open fire and Morley Sage added: “Not only are advanced Ecodesign Ready stoves highly efficient at burning wood meaning you need less logs to produce the same amount of heat, these new stoves have precision engineered fireboxes, which use advanced airflow systems and baffle arrangements to generate secondary and tertiary combustion before the gases exit the flue system. This ensures that the excess hydrocarbons are burnt off in the firebox ensuring greatly reduced particulate emissions.”

From 1st January 2022 stove manufacturers will have to meet tough new legislation setting new efficiency and emissions standards for wood burning stoves. SIA manufacturing members already offer a comprehensive range of SIA Ecodesign Ready appliances that meet these standards now. Morley Sage concluded: “Wood burning has an important role in the future of domestic heating, particularly when considering that challenges we face with climate change, fuel poverty and fuel security. Advanced wood burning appliances, used with quality wood fuel, such as “Ready to Burn” accredited wood, which has less than 20% moisture content, can play a key role in helping to reduce emissions and improve air quality.”

To help homeowners make informed choices by getting the best advice, the SIA has recently set up the SIA Retail Group. Members of this network of quality, independent showrooms have made a commitment to ensuring all appliances they sell meet or exceed current legal requirements, will offer personalised advice on choosing the right stoves, will only use or recommend qualified competent persons to carry out installations, and will provide advice on using the stove and choosing the right fuel and offer comprehensive aftersales support.

A full list of SIA Retail Group members can be found at stoveindustryalliance.com/membership/members-of-the-stove-industry-alliance/

* Kiwa report number 60578 COMPARATIVE SMOKE EMISSION TESTS, 2015

** An open fire will need 16 logs to produce 4kW of heat over a 5-hour period, compared to just 5 logs needed by an SIA Ecodesign Ready stove.