If you happen to live in a smoke control area, your options when it comes to buying a wood-burning stove are already limited. That’s because you need to choose an appliance that has been exempted by DEFRA for use in your property.

Given that these appliances often have the additional development costs attached of having to demonstrate suitable efficiency to a government department, they are often more expensive than regular wood-burning stoves.

Here at Gr8Fires.co.uk, we don’t believe you should have to break the bank just because of your postcode. With that in mind, we have put together this list of the cheapest DEFRA exempt woodburners that are currently available to buy from our online store.

Mazona Rocky 6 kW DEFRA Multi-Fuel Stove

The Mazona Rocky 6 kW is our best-selling woodburner of any kind, so it is also our best-selling DEFRA exempt woodburner. Given it £189.90* price tag, that’s hardly surprising. For that relatively modest fee you get a high quality cast iron stove that is suitable for use in smoke control areas and pumps out an impressive amount of heat. Learn more.

Dimplex Westcott 5 SE Wood Burning Stove

Dimplex produces a range of popular woodburners and this Westcott 5 SE (the SE standing for smoke exempt) is suitable for use in smoke control areas. It’s made from cast iron and boasts a classic wood-burning stove design. The Westcott 5 SE is available for £336.95.

Mazona Crete 5 kW Multi Fuel Inset Stove

The Mazona Crete comes with an additional advantage. Not only is it one of the cheapest DEFRA exempt woodburners available, it is also an inset stove. That means it is designed to slot straight into a standard fireplace opening. That’s a big advantage if you’re restricted or reluctant in regards to undertaking building work to open up a fireplace. The Crete is priced at £349.99. Learn more.

Hamlet Solution DEFRA 4.5 kW Multi Fuel Stove


The Hamlet Solution is a great option if you’re looking for the cheapest DEFRA exempt woodburners, but also want a stove that is contemporary in design. This steel stove, with its minimalist detailing and slick lines, is perfectly suited for modern looks. It costs £449.99. Learn more.

Mazona Portland 5 kW DEFRA Multi Fuel Inset Stove

Like the Crete, the Portland is another reasonably priced inset stove by Mazona. That means it brings the benefits we mentioned above in relation to slotting straight into a standard fireplace. Its clean look makes it perfect for modern living rooms. Learn more.

Click here to see the full collection of DEFRA exempt woodburners

*all prices correct at time of writing, but subject to change.

First of all, thank you for all the support and love. Its no news I got injured so I will be out of fotball for a while. I will go through this like everythings else and come back even stronger. So far I played with one leg so it shouldn't be any problem. One thing is for sure, I decide when its time to stop and nothing else. Giving up is not an option. See you soon

A post shared by IAmZlatan (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) on Apr 23, 2017 at 2:54pm PDT

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has found the perfect way to get his recovery from injury off to a good start: resting in front of a wood-burning stove.

The Swedish player, aged 36, suffered a serious knee ligament injury in a Europa League match against Belgian side Anderlecht last Thursday evening.

United confirmed that the injury will prevent Ibrahimovic from playing again this season and said he would be seeing a specialist to get a better idea of the extent of the problem and discuss a rehabilitation programme in the coming days.

In the meantime, there is nothing for Ibrahimovic to do except rest, recuperate and hope the swelling goes down. No doubt with that in mind, he has been relaxing by a woodburner.

He posted a photo to his Instagram account showing his injured joint and its healthy counterpart, with a roaring woodburner in the background.

It looks as though he might be in a sauna. If so, he has probably headed back to his homeland for a short break because wood-burning stove-fired saunas are very popular in Sweden, with many households having their own in outbuildings.

Inveraray Castle is the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell, and it is also currently home to a Dimplex Club electric stove.

The popular tearooms at the iconic castle on the banks of the River Aray are heated by a Club, which you can see in the photo above.

In addition to being one of the most popular tourist destinations on the west coast of Scotland, the 18th-century Gothic-style castle is also well-known as being the location for the 2012 Christmas special of Downton Abbey. So, if it looks familiar but you haven’t visited, that is probably where you know if from.

It is easy to work out why the castle would have opted to invest in the Dimplex Club to provide some warmth and cosiness to the tearooms. Its traditional cast-iron style and realistic Optiflame® log effect create a look that is entirely in keeping with Inveraray’s tradition. And with the flame effect working independently of the heat source, they can create the right ambience even if the temperature doesn’t call for heating. So whatever the weather, the tearooms are always looking cosy and welcoming.

When extra heat is needed, it is available at the click of a button, cleanly and with no effort required. That means staff can focus on providing service to their customers.

If you would like to heat your own home with a Dimplex Club just like the one found at Inveraray Castle, you can buy one here.

You will often hear people talking about DEFRA approved wood-burning stoves. It is a commonly used phrase for appliances that you are allowed to used in smoke control areas. We even slip into using the terminology ourselves occasionally, but strictly speaking we are wrong when we do.

That is because there is no such thing as DEFRA approved stoves. What we are all talking about when we use that phrase are DEFRA exempt stoves. Splitting hairs? Perhaps, but there is a subtle differentiation.

To say something is approved by DEFRA implies it has their endorsement, that they are vouching for its quality. In fact, the appliances in question are exempted from the Clean Air Act.

Specifically, the stoves are exempted by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in accordance with changes made to sections 20 and 21 of the Clean Air Act 1993 by section 15 of the Deregulation Act 2015 (or section 50 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 in Scotland or by regulations made by Welsh Ministers in Wales).

Being exempt from a piece of legislation is not the same as having approval. So, when you are confronted with a so-called DEFRA approved stove, what you are actually looking at is a DEFRA exempt appliance: one that has been shown to burn efficiently enough that the gases it emits are acceptable in smoke control areas when the owner i using the specified fuel(s), operating the stove in accordance with the instruction and installation manuals and meeting any other conditions specified by DEFRA.

Our approved DEFRA stoves

So, we cannot bring you DEFRA approved stoves, but we can bring you some approved DEFRA stoves: woodburners that are exempted by DEFRA and also have a thumbs-up from Gr8Fires. Here are some of our favourite DEFRA exempt stoves…

Mazona Rocky 6 kW Smoke Exempt Multi Fuel Stove

Our best-selling stove is hugely popular for its timeless design, quality cast iron construction and bargain price tag. It also comes with the additional benefit of being DEFRA exempt. Have a closer look.

Dimplex Langbrook 5 SE Multi-Fuel Stove

The Dimplex Langbrook boasts an unusual, contemporary design. Those rounded edges and chunky feet create an eye-catching look, which you can enjoy even if you live in a smoke control area.

Thorma Horby 10.5 kW Grey Wood Burning Stove

Make a big statement with the freestanding Thorma Horby, which is modern in styling and will create an impression in any room.

Aarrow i400 6kW Flexifuel Multi Fuel Stove

Aarrow stoves are always sleek and stylish. This i400 is a cassette stove that can slot into a recess for a very tidy look. Have a closer look.

Aarrow Farringdon 5kW Wood-Burning Stove

We told you Aarrow stoves are sleek and stylish. The minimal Farringdon is another case in point. Have a closer look.

Mazona Portland Inset Multi-Fuel Stove

A versatile and well-priced inset stove that slots straight into a standard fireplace opening and works well with various styles of decor. Have a closer look. Also available in black and cream enamel versions.

Click here to see more DEFRA exempt stoves

We are often contacted by people who have inadvertently discovered a plate sitting inside their woodburner at the top of the firebox.

If they are baffled as to what the internal place is, that’s pretty ironic because it is actually called the baffle.

Since it is tucked away at the very top of the stove and is usually made from cast iron, it is easy to miss. As a result, the baffle often comes to people’s attention when they accidentally dislodge it during cleaning or refuelling, or else when something goes wrong (like they notice a hole in it).

How do I know where the internal plate goes?

We’ve just discussed the circumstances under which a lot of people become aware of their plate, so their instant reaction is usually: “How do I put it back where it came from?”

The easiest way to do this is to consult your stove manual, which should provide instructions on fitting the baffle. If you don’t have a manual, it should still be fairly obvious. Usually there are small pegs sticking out of the internal wall that the baffle will rest upon. If you sit the baffle on top of the fire liners (the plates protecting the side and back of the stove body), the pegs or other method for holding the baffle in place should now be slightly above it.

What is the purpose of the internal plate at the top of a woodburner?

The baffle plate has two main roles. Firstly, as just mentioned in relation to the fire liners, it protects the top of the stove body from the most intense heat and flames.

But its main purpose is to save you money. It effectively blocks the most direct route up your chimney, forcing the gases to go around it before going upwards. This helps to keep flammable gases in the firebox for as long as possible to give them the best possible chance of being burnt before they disappear up the flue.

This helps you to get the most bang for your buck with the fuel you burn and is also better for the environment because it is not good for unspent gases to be emitted into the atmosphere.

Why is my baffle damaged?

If you are reading this because you have noticed the internal plate at the top of your woodburner is worn or warped, this article will help you to work out what’s gone wrong and how to address the problem.