On the 14th of February, DEFRA released a report, “Emissions of air pollutants in the UK – Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5)”.
This document shows across all sectors, PM2.5 emissions have increased in 2021 compared to 2020.
What is PM2.5?
PM2.5, also known as fine particulate matter, refers to particles or liquid droplets in the air that have a diameter less than 2.5 micrometres across (about 3 per cent of the diameter of a human hair). Some PM2.5 is naturally occurring, such as dust and sea salt, and some are manmade, such as particulates from vehicle exhausts.
According to the DEFRA report, domestic combustion accounted for 22.7 thousand tonnes of PM2.5 in 2021, which accounts for around 27% of the UK total. They also mentioned that wood fuel made up a greater percentage of PM2.5 than previously. The reduction of the use of coal for domestic heating is one reason driving this.
Grouping “Domestic Combustion”
One thing to be aware of is when the report talks about “domestic combustion”, it groups all appliance types together. This includes open fires, old inefficient stoves and, of course, high-efficiency Ecodesign stoves. The study does not separate the vastly different efficiencies in the broad grouping of “domestic burning”.
PM2.5 From Ecodesign Stoves
It’s estimated that just 4.8% of PM2.5 emissions are attributed to Ecodesign stoves. In the broader context, this equates to a tiny 1.3% of total PM2.5 emissions in the UK. It’s important that people know the vast differences in emission output so they can make an informed decision about the appliance they are considering purchasing.
PM10 and PM2.5 emissions have significantly fallen since the 1970s. The graph below shows this, which is a result of increased environmental awareness and the reduction of coal as a heating source.
New stoves sold in the UK need to be Ecodesign ready. A ruling which can into effect in January 2022. However, many new stoves are now also clearSkies certified. All stoves which show the clearSkies mark have been independently certified, confirming that they meet or exceed Ecodesign Regulations. Below is what the different clearSkies levels mean.
All the wood-burning stoves in the Charlton & Jenrick range are either level 4 or 5, demonstrating how advanced our stoves are.
