From August 2017, ESSE stoves will be manufactured for use in Clean Air Zones as defined by the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
This decision is in response to the government paper stating that ‘poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health’ and while ‘over recent decades, UK air quality has improved significantly, there is more to do’. People burning unauthorised fuel or using a stove that is not considered an ‘exempt appliance’ within a Clean Air Zone risk a £1,000 fine.
ESSE has now opted to supply stoves that can be used in Clean Air Zones regardless of where they will be distributed or installed. This means that every ESSE stove will be clean-burning and low-emission. In addition, all ESSE stoves with an output of over 5kW will be available with an external air kit option.
ESSE Sales Director Mark Blewitt says: “The focus at ESSE has always been on cleanliness and efficiency, so the decision on ‘exempt appliances’ is the natural next chapter. Customers will be able to have full confidence in ESSE products and not risk the chance of a fine either now or in the future if their home falls within a Clean Air Zone.”
As well as the initiative to manufacture stoves classed as ‘exempt appliances’ ESSE has also been awarded a British patent for its twin catalytic combustion technology for its ESSE 990 wood-fuelled range cooker, making it probably the cleanest burning appliance of its kind in the world.
Before its launch in November 2010, ESSE put the 990 through its CE testing as standard and was told by the independent inspector that it was the cleanest-burning appliance he’d ever tested – based on its innovative design that cleans emissions and re-burns smoke particles produced by the range cooker when lit.
The EU standard for CO emissions is currently 1% maximum, with some countries asking for less than 0.3%; the ESSE 990, by comparison, was assessed at 0.01% CO. Also independently rated as over 85% energy-efficient, the ESSE 990 is an exempt appliance suitable for burning wood in a smoke control zone.
This isn’t the limit of the 990’s many benefits however. It also features ESSE’s large cast iron hotplate, with different temperature zones for added flexibility, while its four doors house three capacious ovens and an easy-to-access firebox for fast refuelling (with it’s own secondary glass door giving a clear view of the flames for welcoming warmth and light).
Sales Director Mark Blewitt added: “We are incredibly proud of the design and technology that has gone into our 990 range cooker and having our patent granted further illustrates our commitment to hand building the best range cookers right here in Britain and beyond, as ESSE has since 1854.
“The ESSE 990 has proven extremely popular since its launch, with customers across the globe appreciating its many benefits. Along with the fact that ESSE stoves are now exempt appliances too, customers can future-proof their homes and maintain clean-burning, energy-efficient households without compromising on style or quality.”
ESSE exempt appliance stoves retail from £499 incl. VAT.
The ESSE 990 solid fuel range retails from £6878 incl. VAT.
