HOW GREEN IS YOUR FIRE?
THE OPEN FIRE
0/10
Yes, the open fire has been around for literally the entirety of human existence, but lighting one, be it in the fireplace or outside in a firepit or chiminea, is about the worst thing you can do for the environment and your health.
THE VINTAGE WOODBURNER
2/10
Old stoves – even those produced before 2016, but especially before 1990 – are polluting nightmares. The European Environmental Bureau report found that old wood stoves produced 1,329g of fine particle emission per gigajoule (GJ) of heating – almost as much as an open fire (1,367g).
The report said the best solution “is to phase out the use of small wood burning stoves”, which, it claims, could reduce air pollution by more than 90 per cent.
NEXT GEN STOVE
4/10
Ecodesign Ready stoves – produced since 2017 – are better than older models and especially open fires, the researchers say. They found they produced 150g of fine particle emission per GJ of heating, compared with 620g for pre-2007 stoves and 1,367g in an open fire.
But Andy Hill, chair of the Stove Industry Alliance, points out there is a tougher standard available: the clearSkies certification, launched last year, “enables manufacturers to have their appliances independently verified as meeting the requirements of Ecodesign and also goes beyond what is required under Ecodesign in terms of improved efficiency and an even greater reduction in emissions.”
MASONRY WOOD STOVES WITH HEAT STORAGE 5/10
The study found masonry wood stoves with heat storage cut the fine particle emission of even an eco stove in half. The stoves originated in Sweden in the 18th century as a way of improving the efficiency of an open fire.
GAS BURNERS
6/10
The most realistic alternative to burning logs and coal is a gas fire. “Gas-fired stoves emit much less harmful particles,” Press-Kristensen says. “However, it is still best not to burn anything at all.”
BIOETHANOL 7/10
There has been a surge in customers interested in bio fires – fires that, with the right accessories, such as a grate and fake logs, look like the real thing but are fuelled
by burning the renewable ethanol. “It is however best to ensure that these are properly installed and maintained to avoid the release of other gases and that these are only installed
in well-ventilated rooms,” says Olga Turner Baker.
ELECTRIC FIRES 8/10
Thanks to many now being powered by LEDs, electric fires’ energy consumption has dropped drastically and the “flames” are far more realistic.
For an electric heater that looks like a log burner, try the Stockton Electric Stove (£855; realflame.co.uk), or for a fireplace, the Olympus Range of fire baskets from Chesneys uses ultrasonic technology to create a fine mist that is illuminated to produce realistic-looking flames and smoke (from £1,220; chesneys.co.uk).
FIRE ON THE TELLY
10/10
Playing a crackling fire video on YouTube is surprisingly soporific and seriously underrated; no, it doesn’t provide actual heat, but this winter is looking mild, anyway.