Domestic biomass and solid fuel heating appliances

There are two routes to legally install a domestic solid fuel, wood or biomass burning appliance. HETAS registered installers can self-certify that their work complies with the relevant building regulations and issue the customer with a certificate of compliance. A copy of the certificate is also sent to HETAS who will notify us on their behalf. Alternatively, if the installer is not HETAS registered you must apply to the Building Control department for a building notice, and pay the appropriate fee.

Some appliances are exempt in England when using the specified fuels and operated in accordance with the conditions. For further information on exempt appliances For further information on exempt appliances visit DEFRA's website.

Choosing a wood burning stove

All stoves placed on the market after January 2022 must be Ecodesign compliant. If you bought your stove before this time, or your stove was placed on the market before January 2022, this legislation does not apply to you.

Ecodesign requirements set criteria around a stove’s emissions and efficiency.

In order to be compliant, the stove must not emit more than a specified amount of pollutants. These pollutants include particulate matter (PM), organic gaseous compounds (OGC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The stove must also reach a certain level of efficiency. A more efficient stove can product more heat using less fuel.

You can check whether your stove is ecodesign compliant by checking your brochure or contacting your retailer.

If you want to ensure that you are making the most sustainable and the least polluting choice, you may wish to purchase a wood burning stove that meets one of the following certifications:

HETAS Cleaner Choice Approval Scheme
As well as being DEFRA-exempt and listed on the DEFRA-website, these stoves emit at least 50% less particulates than required for DEFRA-exemption.

Clearskies
There are 5 levels to the Clearskies certification scheme. Level 3 stoves are DEFRA-exempt and ecodesign compliant. Level 4 stoves release 15% less pollutants than required to be ecodesign compliant, and level 5 stoves release 15% less than level 4.

Nordic Ecolabel or Nordic Swan
Stove brands from Nordic countries may also show this certification, which sets out rigorous emission and efficiency targets for both stove production and usage.

The Woodsure Ready to Burn Certification Scheme

The purpose of the scheme is to help inform consumers about the importance of using clean, quality wood fuel to help reduce the impacts of domestic burning on the environment. Further information can be found in the leaflet below:

Woodsure Ready to Burn Certification Scheme leaflet(PDF) [265 kb]