Cheapest DEFRA exempt woodburners

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 Ripley 4 kW Ecodesign Ready Multi Fuel Wood Burning Stove

Stunning contemporary design, built to Ecodesign specifications and available for less than £300 – the Mazona Ripley 4 kW really does have everything you want from a DEFRA exempt woodburner. Take a closer look.

[If you like the sound of that but need a bit more ‘oomph’ to heat your room, you might like to consider the Mazona Ripley 5 kW Ecodesign Ready Multi Fuel Wood Burning Stove or Mazona Ripley 8 kW Ecodesign Ready Multi Fuel Wood Burning Stove]

Arizona A05 5 kW Smoke Exempt Multi Fuel Wood Burning Stove

The Arizona A05 offers a fantastic package of stylish contemporary design, DEFRA exemption and an affordable price tag. It features a steel construction in clean, modern lines, accented by beautiful design details. Learn more.

Arizona A08E 8 kW Smoke Exempt Multi Fuel Wood Burning Stove

Similar in style to the A05, the Arizona A08E delivers an extra 3 kW of heat output into your room. And take a look at that stunning viewing window – how are you going to be able to resist staring at the flames all evening? Take a closer look.

Mazona Whitby 400 5 kW Ecodesign Ready Multi Fuel Wood Burning Cassette Insert Stove

The Whitby is a reasonably priced inset stove by Mazona. It slots straight into a standard UK fireplace, for minimum disruption, while 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.

Dimplex Club electric stove providing heat to Inveraray Castle

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.

Why DEFRA approved stoves aren’t really DEFRA approved stoves

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 Ripley 5 kW Ecodesign Ready Multi Fuel Wood Burning Stove

What’s not to love about the Mazona Ripley 5 kW? Its uncomplicated, understated design gives it a fabulous contemporary look. Its 5 kW heat output is perfect for most normal-sized living rooms. Its high quality steel construction is built to last and backed by a five-year guarantee. And it’s built to Ecodesign standards, which means you get the highest levels of efficiency and environmental friendliness. Have a closer look.

Arizona A08E 8 kW Smoke Exempt Multi Fuel Wood Burning Stove

If you’re looking for a DEFRA exempt woodburner with a large heat output and a large viewing window, the Arizona A08E ticks all the boxes. Its contemporary design will sit comfortable in any modern living room, and its high quality steel body is covered by a five-year guarantee Have a closer look.

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.

Click here to see more DEFRA exempt stoves

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

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.