Ecodesign Stoves Explained: What It Means for Your Log Burner

If you have been looking at new wood burners, you will have seen the word Ecodesign on almost every stove. But what does it actually mean, is your current stove affected, and why does it matter when you choose a new one?

This guide explains Ecodesign stoves in plain English, including what the standard measures, how it differs from DEFRA approval and what it means for homeowners in Swindon and Wiltshire.

What Is an Ecodesign Stove?

Ecodesign is a set of minimum standards for solid fuel stoves covering efficiency and emissions. Since 1 January 2022, every new wood burning and multi fuel stove sold in Great Britain has had to meet it.

To pass, a stove must burn fuel efficiently and produce far lower levels of pollution than older designs. It is tested for:

• Particulate matter (PM). These are the tiny particles in smoke that affect air quality. A closed stove must emit no more than 40mg per cubic metre.
• Carbon monoxide (CO). The result of incomplete combustion.
• Organic gaseous compounds (OGC). Unburnt gases that come from poor combustion.
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx). Gases produced at high temperatures.
• Efficiency. A closed stove must achieve a seasonal efficiency of at least 65 per cent.

What Does “Ecodesign Ready” Mean?

Before the rules came into force, the stove industry launched the Ecodesign Ready label. It showed that a stove already met the upcoming limits. Now that Ecodesign is mandatory, every new stove on sale must meet the standard. You may still see “Ecodesign Ready” on older stock and in brochures, and it means the same thing.

How Much Cleaner Is an Ecodesign Stove?

Modern stoves use clever combustion technology to burn the smoke and gases that older stoves send up the chimney. Pre-heated air is fed into the firebox at several points. This is often called cleanburn or airwash, and it also helps keep the glass clear.

According to the Stove Industry Association, an Ecodesign stove produces up to 90 per cent fewer emissions than an open fire, and up to 80 per cent fewer than a stove that is ten or more years old. You get more heat from every log and noticeably less smoke. Our guide to whether wood burning stoves are environmentally friendly looks at this in more detail.

Is My Existing Stove Still Legal?

Yes. Ecodesign applies to new stoves being sold, not to stoves already installed in homes. You can keep using your existing log burner, as long as you burn the right fuel and follow smoke control rules if they apply where you live.

That said, if your stove is old, smokes when you open the door or eats through logs, upgrading to an Ecodesign model can be a worthwhile improvement. You’ll use less fuel for the same heat.

Ecodesign vs DEFRA Approved: What’s the Difference?

These two terms are often confused, but they are separate:

• Ecodesign is the national minimum standard that every new stove must meet.
• DEFRA approval (an “exempt appliance”) is about smoke control areas. It means a stove has been tested and approved to burn wood in an area where smoke from chimneys is otherwise restricted. Since 2023, exempt appliances in England must emit no more than 3g of smoke per hour.

Many modern stoves are both Ecodesign compliant and DEFRA approved. If you live in a smoke control area and want to burn logs, make sure your new stove is on the approved list. The government’s guidance on smoke control area rules explains how to check your address.

Fuel Matters Too

Even the cleanest stove will smoke if you burn the wrong fuel. To get the best from an Ecodesign stove:

• Burn wood with a moisture content of 20 per cent or less, such as kiln-dried logs or wood carrying the Ready to Burn logo
• Check your own logs with a moisture meter before burning them
• In a multi fuel stove, use approved smokeless fuel rather than house coal, which is no longer sold for domestic use
• Never burn treated timber, painted wood, pallets or household rubbish

Our guide to which fuels are legal to burn in 2026 covers the rules in full.

Choosing an Ecodesign Stove

Because every new stove meets the standard, choose the one that suits your home and lifestyle:

• Size and heat output to suit your room, worked out properly rather than guessed
• Wood burning or multi fuel, depending on the fuels you want to use
• Style, from traditional classic stoves to contemporary stoves
• DEFRA approval if you live in a smoke control area
• Your chimney or flue, which may need lining or a new twin-wall system

Correct installation is just as important as the stove itself. An Ecodesign stove connected to an unsuitable flue won’t perform as it should. Read our guide to log burner installation in Swindon to see what the process involves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all new stoves Ecodesign?

Yes. Since 1 January 2022, every new wood burning and multi fuel stove sold in Great Britain must meet Ecodesign standards.

Do I have to replace my old stove?

No. The rules apply to new stoves being sold, not those already installed. You can keep using your stove, although upgrading can cut your fuel use and emissions.

Can I burn wood in a smoke control area?

Only on a DEFRA-approved (exempt) appliance, using dry wood. Otherwise you must burn authorised smokeless fuel.

Is an Ecodesign stove more expensive to run?

Usually the opposite. Because Ecodesign stoves are more efficient, they need less fuel to produce the same amount of heat.

See Ecodesign Stoves in Our Swindon Showroom

At Fireplace Solutions, we supply and install Ecodesign wood burning stoves and multi fuel stoves across Swindon and Wiltshire, with over 22 years’ experience. Visit our showroom at Unit 11 Ash, Kembrey Park, see stoves on display and get honest advice on the right model for your home.

Call us on 01793 640 485 or contact us online.