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Many people are finding it difficult to find a list of DEFRA Approved Stoves in the UK with more and more local authorities now clamping down on non-DEFRA approved stoves in smoke controlled areas. This is an issue which has come to a head in Scotland over the last couple of weeks where a gentleman was fined £250 for using a non-DEFRA approved stove in a smoke controlled area. So what exactly is DEFRA approval?

DEFRA approval is the Department of the Environment’s confirmation that a stove with DEFRA approval can be used in smoke controlled areas. The number of small controlled areas in the UK continues to grow as concerns about the environment and the damage that smoke fuels can do to the atmosphere continues to grow. There are also issues with regards to neighbours and adjoining buildings which can suffer various issues if smoke from a woodburning or a multifuel stove is released into the atmosphere.

It is becoming more and more apparent that stove companies in the UK are now seeking DEFRA approval for many of their wood-burning and multifuel stoves. However, you must also be aware that many areas of rural UK do not require DEFRA approved stoves as they are not in so-called "smoke controlled areas". Therefore the market for non-DEFRA approved stoves is still enormous, both for woodburning and multifuel stoves, and still very much open to those who live in areas where there are no smoke control regulations.

The issue of DEFRA approval is something that will catch the attention of stove enthusiasts, stove companies and local authorities more and more in the future. It will only be in the more heavily populated areas of the UK that the issue of DEFRA and non-DEFRA approval will be relevant but you must also be aware that if you operate a non-DEFRA approved stove in a smoke controlled area you are in effect breaking the law and could be susceptible to a fine.

The popularity of both DEFRA and non-DEFRA approved stoves continues to grow and despite the ongoing economic downturn, which has hit many in the UK very hard, the trend for UK stove sales continues to rise. We are seeing more and more stove companies issuing new contemporary and traditional stoves to the marketplace and indeed the market for boiler stoves is stronger than it has ever been. It is the fact that woodburning stoves and multifuel stoves offer a traditional and very different heat to central heating systems which has caught the eye of many people.

It is also noticeable that more and more people in the UK are also concerned about the ever-growing cost of electric and gas across the country. Heating bills for many people in the UK have risen dramatically over the last two or three years and indeed many believe this is a trend which will continue, despite the economic downturn, for many years to come. Due to the very wide availability of wood fuel and fossil fuels, and the fact they have risen in price significantly less than electric and gas, more and more people are now looking towards stoves for homes, stoves for offices and stoves for pubs.

Competition in the UK stove market continues to grow and there are now a whole host of interesting offers and interesting promotions available on a regular basis. However, we have seen a number of very cheap imports entering the UK market from the Far East and other far-flung markets which are not always as "good value" as many would have you believe. The more popular stoves available from leading stove manufacturers in the UK are built to last and the safest models on the market today. Do you really want to compromise your safety for the sake of a few pounds?