Safety warning over wood burners

Increasing numbers of people have found their appliances are not approved

People who install a wood burning stove have been warned to check it has a safety certificate.

Sussex Building Control said increasing numbers of people were buying wood burners only to find the installer was not approved by the trade body Hetas.

A spokesman said that without approval there were potential risks of carbon dioxide emissions, insurance problems and difficulty with house sales.

More people are installing stoves across England, Scotland and Wales.

In June, the Solid Fuel Association said sales of wood burning stoves had risen by 30% over the previous 12 months.

Sussex Building Control, which covers Crawley and Horsham, said it investigated the problem with residents.

A number of customers had found their installer provided a registration number for the appliance but was not approved by Hetas.

Regulations require all wood burning stoves installed after April 2006 to have either a Hetas certificate or building regulation compliance.

Hetas is the official industry body for solid fuel heating which is recognised by the government.