The Energy Labelling Directive was introduced at the start of the year for wood burning stoves. As consumers we are already familiar with the labelling that comes on white goods, such as fridges, freezers and washing machines. The labels have been introduced to show the efficiency of products, with A++ being the best, and G being the worst. This familiar efficiency rating now is added to stoves.
Helping People Understand How Green New Stoves Are:
Air quality has been in the media a great deal recently, especially with the Major of London, and his push for cleaner air in the capital. We produced a number of detailed articles in response to this, such as Improving Air Quality – Latest from London and London Mayor Calls for Tighter Controls on Pollution.
There has been a misconception by some that wood burning stoves can be inefficient and not environmentally friendly. The truth is, especially in London, its open fires that are the perpetrators, when it comes to pollution from burning wood.
Using Negative Press to Promote Stoves Green Credentials:
This somewhat negative coverage, surrounding burning wood portrayed in the media, gave us a great platform to respond and use as a launch bench to project modern stoves green credentials, especially Ecodesign ready stoves.
The Energy Labelling Directive, we feel will only further help project these credentials, and help people become aware of the environmental benefits of new, high efficiency wood burning stoves. Most new, high efficiency stoves will be an A or A+ rating. In the Charlton & Jenrick range our stoves are either A or A+.
Stove Emissions:
Stoves do produce particulate matter. However, it’s volume is highly dependent on how the wood is burnt, as particles are produced by the incomplete burning of a fuel. As a direct comparison, an open fire has an energy efficiency of only around 20%, an Ecodesign ready stove has around an 80% + level of efficiency. High efficiency stoves are effectively carbon neutral as the fuel (i.e wood) comes from a sustainable source, and consumes as much CO2 (as the trees grow) as it emits (when it burns). Furthermore, burning wood on a high efficient stove emits less CO2 than if the wood was left to naturally rot on the floor of a forest.
What About Brexit?
Surely none of these EU Regulations will matter soon, as we are leaving Europe March 2019? Actually leaving Europe will not have any impact on the Energy Labelling Directive, as DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) has confirmed it’s intention to bring it into UK law through the “The Great Repeal Bill”
Complementing The Energy Labelling Directive:
Apart from the Energy Labelling Directive, Ecodesign is another environmental legislation, which impacts on wood burning stoves. Ecodesign is a European-wide measure that the European Commission has bought in to improve efficiency of appliances and to lead to lower emissions.
Charlton & Jenrick invested in the design and development of the Purevision range of Ecodesign ready stoves as long ago as 2013, to prepare for future tightening of regulations. In doing so new combustion optimisation ideas and techniques were perfected resulting in a patent covering the tertiary air inlet system, and several other innovations, which were added within the products.
Both The Energy Labelling Directive and Ecodesign are helping position high efficiency wood burning stoves as a credible, green ways to heat a home.
You are able to view our energy labels online at – https://charltonandjenrick.com/energy-labels/
