The environment secretary is only after some stoves - the dirtiest, least efficient, most polluting ones are set to be banned as part of a wider Government quest to improve Britain's dangerous pollution levels. It's a good idea to think of a wood burning stove a bit like an extension on your property: get someone to come and look at your house and judge your needs, then prepare a quote accordingly. So, not an impulse buy, then – according to Owen, one customer bought an expensive unit online without realising it wasn't Defra-exempt (so it couldn't be used in a smokeless area such as London).īruce Allen, CEO of HETAS, also recommends contacting a HETAS-approved installer and discussing your needs before buying. you're going to be looking at somewhere between £2,800 and £3,500 including VAT." As Welch told me, "the typical cost to have a stove fitted, with all the associated paraphernalia, liner, cowl, labour, etc. When buying, look for an efficiency rating over 80pc or more.Īll you need to know before buying your wood burning stoveīuying a wood burning stove is a significant outlay. For an Ecodesign Ready appliance, just five logs over five hours should do the trick. According to the SIA, "Great strides forward in stove design have resulted in modern stoves having an efficiency rating of over 80pc, compared to an open fire at 30pc and a stove produced 10 years ago at 65pc." More efficient stoves mean you'll feel more heat from fewer logs. Unlike old log burners, new ones don't need regular glass cleaning for you to see the logs inside.Īnd then there's the efficiency rating. You'll also want an airwash system, which is a technique used by many manufacturers to stop soot clogging up the front window. Some stoves use a mixture of the two materials. Steel heats up quickly and is often used for modern styles because its surface is smooth. Historically, steel has been seen as a cheaper, inferior alternative – but the experts I spoke to said the technology has improved of late, and there's now little to split the two. Cast iron is more traditional it takes a while to warm up, but retains the heat well, and should last a lifetime with care. So, what should you look out for when buying a wood burning stove that complies with the new regulations? For a start, you'll want to choose between cast iron or steel, which are the two main materials used on the market. From then on, only the products that adhere to stricter environmental protocols will be sold. Last year, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, announced a ban on the most polluting wood burners, to come into force by 2022. Wood, when it burns, releases particulates, tiny contaminants that can lead not only to respiratory problems but dementia, stroke, infertility and several other conditions. Wood burners are certainly aesthetically pleasing, helping you to achieve ultimate hygge, but because they burn wood (and other solid fuels), they're believed to have contributed to rising pollution levels. Whatever the reason, they're now sold at an annual rate of almost 200,000. Many put this down to the rise in price of gas and oil, particularly after the financial crisis of 2008, while they're also increasingly a symbol of middle-class status. Wood burning stoves – also known as log burners – have been around since the 16th Century, but over the past few years their popularity has surged. No middle-class front room is complete without one – but with many log burning stoves set to fall foul of new laws, should you still buy them for your home? And which are the very best out there? Telegraph Recommended sourced expert opinion to find out
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