Responsible wood burning, cleaner heating
Responsible Wood Burning. Modern Heating. Professional Installation.
Choosing a wood-burning stove should be about more than creating a beautiful focal point for your home.
Responsible wood burning, cleaner heating
At Ember & Oak Stoves, we believe that choosing a wood-burning stove should be about more than creating a beautiful focal point for your home.
The appliance you choose, the way it is installed and maintained, and the fuel you burn all have an important part to play in achieving efficient and responsible wood burning.
That's why we carefully select the stoves we supply and install, with a focus on modern, efficient appliances designed to meet current emissions and efficiency requirements.
We also provide customers with guidance on using their stove correctly, helping you get the most from your appliance while reducing unnecessary smoke and emissions.
Smoke Control Area compliant stoves
Many areas across the UK are designated Smoke Control Areas. In these areas, there are restrictions on the emission of smoke from chimneys and on the fuels that can be burned.
If you live in a Smoke Control Area and want to burn wood, you must use an appliance that has been approved as exempt for use with wood in that area.
At Ember & Oak, we can supply a range of modern wood-burning stoves that are approved for use in Smoke Control Areas.
These appliances have undergone testing to demonstrate that they meet the relevant emissions requirements for exemption.
However, Smoke Control Area exemption applies to the specific appliance and its approved fuel, and the stove must always be installed, operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Before recommending an appliance, we can help establish whether it is suitable for your property and intended use.
Smoke Control Area Suitable Appliances Available
Ecodesign-compliant appliances
Modern wood-burning stoves have developed considerably in recent years.
The Ecodesign requirements introduced for solid-fuel appliances set standards for efficiency and emissions, helping to reduce the environmental impact of domestic solid-fuel heating.
We concentrate on supplying modern appliances that meet the applicable requirements, rather than older-generation stoves with significantly higher emissions.
Where appropriate, we can also recommend appliances that offer particularly strong emissions and efficiency performance.
Burn dry wood responsibly
- Dry, seasoned wood
- Efficient combustion
- Correct installation
The stove itself is only part of the equation.
The fuel you burn has a significant effect on emissions, efficiency and the condition of your stove and chimney.
Dry, seasoned wood burns more efficiently and produces considerably less smoke than wet wood. In England, wood sold in quantities below 2m³ for domestic burning must meet the relevant moisture requirements and carry the Ready to Burn certification.
As a general rule, firewood should have a moisture content of 20% or less before it is burned.
We recommend:
- Burning clean, dry, seasoned firewood.
- Using a moisture meter to check logs where appropriate.
- Never burning painted, treated or chemically preserved timber.
- Following the fuel recommendations in your stove manufacturer's instructions.
- Avoiding prolonged smoky or low-temperature burning.
- Operating your stove according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Burning the correct fuel at the correct moisture level helps your stove operate more efficiently and can reduce smoke, particulate emissions and tar deposits within the chimney.
Installation matters
A modern stove can only perform as intended when it is correctly installed and commissioned.
At Ember & Oak, we consider the appliance, flue system, chimney and property as a complete installation rather than treating the stove in isolation.
A correctly designed and installed system helps the appliance operate safely and efficiently.
We assess factors such as:
- Appliance suitability and output.
- Existing chimney or proposed flue system.
- Flue diameter and height.
- Ventilation requirements.
- Hearth requirements.
- Clearances to combustible materials.
- Building Regulations requirements.
- Manufacturer's installation requirements.
- Smoke Control Area requirements where applicable.
A more responsible approach to wood burning
Wood burning can provide an efficient and attractive form of supplementary heating when the right appliance, fuel and installation are combined.
Our approach is simple:
Choose the right appliance.
Install it correctly.
Burn the right fuel.
Operate it responsibly.
Maintain it properly.
Looking for a stove suitable for your home?
Talk to Ember & Oak about your requirements.