Ecodesign regulations apply to solid fuel room heaters sold in the UK

From 1 January 2022, any newly manufactured roomheater stove under 50kW placed on the market in the UK must meet minimum seasonal efficiency and maximum emission limits set out in the Ecodesign regulations¹. The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), the government's environmental watchdog, attributes progress on air pollution from domestic combustion partly to the implementation of these rules².

The regulations require roomheaters to meet a minimum efficiency limit of 68.3% gross, or 75% net, and introduce maximum emission limits for particulates (PM), organic gaseous compounds (OGC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)¹. Appliances must be independently tested to show they meet the seasonal efficiency and four emission limit provisions³. HETAS, the solid fuel registration body, sets out the limits as follows³:

The rules cover appliances placed on the market from that date, meaning products made available for the first time from the manufacturer production line, whether for distribution, consumption or entry into the supply chain¹. Appliances verified as already placed on the market before 1 January 2022 are not covered and remain eligible for installation, even where the installation date falls after the enforcement date¹. HETAS states that legacy installations and appliances confirmed as placed on the market before January 2022 are unaffected⁵.

Separately, independent boilers, which do not provide heat into the room in which they are installed, had to meet Ecodesign requirements two years earlier, from 1 January 2020³. HETAS also notes that Ecodesign does not replace the requirements of Smoke Control Areas, where wood may only be burned in an exempt appliance and it is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney⁷.

The OEP's annual progress report assesses the government's clean air goal as showing limited progress, with overall prospects of meeting ambitions, targets and commitments partially off track². It states that both Environment Act 2021 PM2.5 targets, an annual mean level of PM2.5 in ambient air equal to or less than 10µg/m³ and at least a 35% reduction in population exposure to PM2.5 compared with the 2016-2018 baseline by December 2040, are largely on track².

"Ecodesign regulations for solid fuel room heaters sold in the UK following 1 January 2022."

Why it matters for households

For a household using a stove or open fire as part of its heating, the rules change what can be bought new rather than what is already installed. A stove bought since 1 January 2022 will be Ecodesign-compliant, because manufacturers and retailers may only sell stoves meeting the standards⁷. An older appliance already in place is not caught by the regulations⁵.

The practical effect is on efficiency and emissions. Higher efficiency means more of the heat from a given amount of fuel enters the room, which bears on how much fuel a household needs to buy and store. Lower particulate output bears on local air quality, which the OEP tracks against legal targets².

Where a home sits inside a Smoke Control Area, the Ecodesign rules sit alongside separate restrictions: wood is classed as an unauthorised fuel and may only be burned in an exempt appliance, and visible smoke from a chimney is an offence⁷. HETAS states that all Cleaner Choice appliances are on the exempt list and are tested to emit at least 50% less than required in Smoke Control Areas⁷. The OEP report also raises the prospect of change of property ownership schemes as an example of how government could incentivise households to replace outdated, high-emissions stoves with modern, efficient appliances². No such scheme has been reported as adopted.

What happens next

The OEP report notes that the Air Quality Information System Review and the Air Quality Digital Services Project were scheduled to be published in 2024 but had yet to be released². Government's rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan was due to have been completed by the end of 2024². HETAS states it continues to work with government departments on the regulations⁸. Further detail on the wider framework is set out in the site's guide to UK home energy regulation and policy, with appliance-specific rules covered under energy labels and Ecodesign rules for household appliances and installer registration compared in HETAS vs OFTEC registration for solid fuel and oil heating.

Sources8 cited

1. Implementation of Ecodesign Regulation in 2022 - HETAS, hetas.co.uk
2. Government watchdog report highlights the importance of replacing old, inefficient stoves  - HETAS, hetas.co.uk
3. Ecodesign Explained - HETAS, hetas.co.uk
4. Ecodesign 2022 - HETAS, hetas.co.uk
5. Consumer Guide to Ecodesign and Defra - HETAS, hetas.co.uk
6. HETAS - A Consumer Guide To Ecodesign And DEFRA Exempt, hetas.co.uk
7. 6 log burner rules - and why they're easy to follow  - HETAS, hetas.co.uk
8. Ecodesign Compliance - HETAS, hetas.co.uk