Which is the Greenest Log burner?

Wed, 13 May 2026 12:49:23 +0000

Carbon Footprint of Logburners

Log burning stoves are made using iron, steel or both. Iron takes a long time to heat up and conversely a long time to cool down, so releases the heat into your room slowly. Steel is the opposite, so burners with both iron and steel are a popular combination. Most have a viewing window made of ceramic glass in the door(s) and insulating firebricks made of vermiculite board on the inside. They are usually sprayed with heatproof paint and sometimes enamelled.

Log burners are made around the world to varying different standards. You usually get what you pay for, so cheaper stoves may not last as long as a more expensive stove.

Assembled outside UK - Bigger Carbon Footprint

Cheaper stoves are cast and assembled overseas in order to keep prices down. Stoves that are cast and assembled and then shipped back to the UK have the largest carbon footprint.

Assembled in UK - Smaller Carbon Footprint

Log burners that are cast overseas and then put together in the UK have a smaller carbon footprint. Stoves that are cast / manufactured and assembled in the UK have the smallest carbon footprint.

On this page we take a look at the information provided by some stove manufacturers and attempt to compare their 'green' credentials so that you can make an informed choice when buying your wood burner or multifuel stove. Note that information regarding transportation within the UK has not been included due to a lack of forthcoming information.

Clear Skies Act

The Clear Skies logo shows you how clean burning a new stove is but does not ( yet ) take into account how much pollution went into the making and shipping of the stove.

List of Best Manufacturers

( when comparing Carbon Footprint )

We have contacted lots of UK stove manufacturers, to try to compare the carbon footprint of stoves that we install, and have found so that 100% steel stoves that are made in the UK have the lowest footprint.

Companies that have been currently forthcoming with information are to the left. Please bear in mind we are still collating information and awaiting responses. To be kinder to the planet you also need to be avoiding coal and only buying wood that is seasoned properly and is either from UK tree surgeons or sustainable forests.

BEST

AGA stoves

Manufactured : UK. Steel made in Port Talbot, Wales. Iron doors cast in the West Midlands.
Assembled : UK.

Other notes : Fireboards and Heat Proof Paint are manufactured in the UK. Ceramic Glass is imported.

Price range : £936 to £2200+

Link to website : https://www.agaliving.com/products/catalog/stoves

Score : 2 (= very good)

TOP 2

Firebelly stoves

Manufactured : All stoves manufactured usuing steel sourced in UK
Assembled : handbuilt in Yorkshire.

Other notes : Fireboards, Ceramic Glass and Heat Proof Paint sourced in UK

Price range : £1250 to £4000 -
link to website : https://firebellystoves.com/

Score : 2 (= excellent)

TOP 3

Charnwood stoves

Manufactured : Isle of Wight using British materials as much as possible.
Assembled : Isle of Wight

Other notes : Fireboards sourced in the UK; Ceramic Glass imported from Germany, EU and Heat Proof Paint sourced from Belgium, EU.

Price range : £1140 to £4,200
Link to website : https://www.charnwood.com/stoves/

Score : 3 (= good)

TOP 4

Oakleaf

Manufactured : Asia
Assembled : Asia - shipped to UK fully assembled

Other notes : Fireboards, Ceramic Glass and Heat Proof Paint sourced Asia

Offsetting: Planting of trees every month. Full electric and hybrid vehicles in fleet. Using paper packaging material and paper tape to reduce carbon footprint.

Price range : £600 to £1500 : https://oakleafstoves.com/

Score : 8
(= medium carbon footprint)

Next Topic

Making Greener Choices

Mon, 11 May 2026 15:41:26 +0000

Choosing a logburner

Because of the Clean Air Act of 2019 (which is constantly under revision), DEFRA and the government believe that the 'greenest' stoves are the ones that are Eco-design ready with A or A+ energy labels. These stoves are starting to be labelled as 3 and above on the CleanSkies scale.

You can also consider how far the stove has travelled or how large is its carbon footprint. There are no current bodies looking into this so we believe that the 'greenest' options here are stoves made in the UK. 100% steel stoves that are made in the UK have the lowest footprint but most are made of a mixture of steel and cast iron. Compare logburner manufacturers.

We have contacted lots of UK stove manufacturers, to try to compare the carbon footprint of stoves that we install, and have found so that 100% steel stoves that are made in the UK have the lowest footprint. For more information visit our greener choices page.

Companies that have been currently forthcoming with information are to the left. Please bear in mind we are still collating information and awaiting responses. To be kinder to the planet you also need to be avoiding coal and only buying wood that is seasoned properly and is either from UK tree surgeons or sustainable forests.

New Labelling

There are a few new labelling systems that you will see whilst browsing for wood burners and multifuel stoves. These are to help you compare and choose appliances but can be confusing if the shopping websites don't use them.

HETAS Cleaner Choice symbol indicates a clean burning appliance for your wood stove, multi-fuel or bio-mass installation. The HETAS Cleaner Choice Approval Scheme is unique in that HETAS is a third party independent and impartial certification body that relies on first-hand review of test data from in checking that each appliance meets, and often, exceeds some of the most stringent limits set by tested standards and test methods.

Clean Skies Mark symbol indicates the stove has met the standards of Eco-design and exceeded them. Because of this a new labelling scheme is in place to clearly show consumers when comparing woodburners.

Level 5 - the best rating. The woodburner is at least 15% more efficient and has 15% less emissions than level 4 stoves. Also DEFRA approved.
Level 4 - Stove has 15 % improvement on level 3 appliances. Also DEFRA approved.
Level 3 - Meets Eco-design standards and is DEFRA approved.
Level 2 - Meets Eco-design standards (just)

Eco-design Compliant means that a woodburner has met the 5 regulation requirements for emissions and efficiency.

These requirements are much stricter than ever before, even for DEFRA approved models. All newly manufactured stoves must meet these standards since 2020. Second hand stoves are unlikely to be Eco-compliant. Visit the Stove Industry Alliance website for more information. The SIA are an association of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, advisory/test house bodies, sweep associations and other parties that exists to promote and explain the benefits of wood-burning stoves and biomass appliances.