Let's face it, no one has to have a fireplace these days, but a fireplace is an integral part of modern living for very many people as the main focal point in a living space - and it will probably remain so for the foreseeable future, 

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We've looked in depth of how we might support the change in energy use that has come with the green economy. We supply heating products that use electricity, wood, gas or bioethanol fuels - and we have even introduced hybrid systems where that has been technically possible, which has already reduced running costs. Clients still have a wide choice of fuels, but we encourage the use of very efficient balanced flue gas fireplaces.

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So, here's the lowdown:

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NATURAL GAS

 

Today, natural gas allows billions of people worldwide to enjoy access to lower carbon heat and power. And, as the world works towards net zero emissions we think that natural gas and hydrogen will play an important role in getting us all there.

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Natural gas has far lower emissions than coal or wood when burnt for power and is a much cleaner way of generating electricity. Switching from coal to gas has cut more than 500 million tonnes* of CO2 from the power sector this decade alone. 

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And, as electricity production increasingly switches to renewable sources, gas can be a flexible partner to wind and solar, providing quick and reliable back-up power whatever the weather. Gas plus renewables has helped the UK to lower emissions to levels last seen in the 19th century. Our hybrid 'Gas Logs' versions have smaller burners using less gas - and glowing underbeds provided by Active LEDs to ensure realism with very little operating costs. Balanced flue gas fireplaces are already the most efficient of the genre.

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 LPG GAS

 

All of our gas products will operate on BioLPG. It’s renewable. It’s sustainable. It's made from a blend of waste, residues and sustainably sourced materials and is a great step in the green direction. 

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BioLPG is chemically identical to LPG and is compatible with all our gas-fired products, but this gas has a greener twist. BioLPG has absolutely no compromise on performance, so it's as energy efficient as natural gas or conventional LPG, whilst supporting us all to achieve a greener tomorrow. Our hybrid 'Gas Logs' versions have smaller burners using less gas - and glowing underbeds provided by Active LEDs to ensure realism with very little operating costs.

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With BioLPG, we can all do our bit for the environment, whilst we provide a reliable and sustainable heat source. One step at a time, and with your help, we’ll reduce carbon emissions together. 

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BIOETHANOL

 

Bioethanol is a renewable source of heat as it doesn’t depend on fossil fuels like coal or wood. It’s also the result of conversion of the suns energy into a usable energy.

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This type of fuel is made from materials such as corn, potato or sugar, which means that, unlike other common sources of fireplace heating, it’s a resource that will not run out of the natural product used to create it; it also doesn’t cause damage to the environment during its production process. The whole cycle of bioethanol production starts with photosynthesis, which creates feedstock, like sugar cane, to grow. This feedstock is then processed into ethanol.

 

Environmentally, the advantages of using a biofuel in fireplaces are clear to see; they include (but are not limited to) the following benefits:

 

• 100% efficiency, as a suitable appliance will not need a flue or chimney.

• Unlike traditional solid fuel or wood fires, biofuel produces no harmful emissions or smoke that pollutes – and its CO2 emissions are negligible. 

• The main by-products are heat and water vapour, which means a fire using this sustainable liquid fuel will not put greenhouse gases into the environment or contribute to the issue of climate change.

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ELECTRIC FIREPLACES

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If using solely renewable electricity, an electric fireplace is a pretty effective way of providing an ecologically-friendly focal point - especially when compared to an open wood or coal fire. They are less expensive to produce and less expensive to operate. These days, they are also very realistic, make a suitable replacement for a wood or coal fire.

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EU EcoDesign legislation came into force on January 1st 2018 and our electric fires all comply, now being driven by LED lighting and innovative electronic control, often by smartphone app.

 

The legislation required all electric and gas space heaters to comply with minimum efficiency standards, as we’ve seen with light bulbs, televisions and washing machines. The UK government supports the requirement that all electric heaters within the EU must comply with a minimum energy efficiency standard, in order to help achieve our carbon reduction target.

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 WOODBURNING

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Woodburning stoves offer a low-carbon alternative to home heating using fossil fuels. Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, which is returned to the atmosphere when the wood is burned. If one sources  logs or wood pellets locally, a wood stove can be virtually carbon neutral. Therefore, wood burning stoves can be one of the most cost-effective forms of renewable power that one can incorporate into a home.

 

By 'renewable' it's meant that wood used for fuel can be replaced by simply growing more - in fact wood experts tell us that if everyone switched to wood burning stoves the UK could quickly become self-sufficient in wood fuel once our woods were properly managed and coppiced. Providing the wood fuel is harvested from a sustainable wood source then there is no net increase in CO2 emissions (the most significant greenhouse gas). At the moment in most woodlands, fallen wood is left to rot and is regarded as a waste material

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A modern, high quality stove operating with an efficiency of up to 85% also loses very little heat through the flue and produces very little smoke pollution. The flipside is that older woodburning fires can produce particulate matter, although EU rules minimise the risk - all stoves sold in the UK must be Ecodesign by January 2022 - a new standard of efficiency that is designed to reduce emissions of gaseous compounds by up to 80 per cent, by burning wood more efficiently and completely..

 

NOW WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN BUSINESS?

 

Over the last two years, we have been able to dramatically reduce imports of appliances from overseas and now generally only supply such products that we have produced in the UK or are made for us in the UK. Some components are still made overseas but, where we can, we source mainly from Europe to reduce travelling distances.

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Sustainability is now at the heart of every new product development.

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We have minimised business travel, for example site visits, by the use of online digital information and digitised processes wherever possible. We have purchased a 100% electric car for any necessary site visits.

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We always try to procure sustainably sourced components and minimise packaging wherever possible, in line with our business needs.

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If we have to print anything at all, it is always as minimal as possible, having implemented digitised processing throughout the business and the use of email correspondence in place of Royal Mail.

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We have no additional heating in our business space, relying on our products to do the work - and no air conditioning. We use energy-efficient LED lighting and have incorporated control by smartphone/tablet app or home automation.

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Waste management can be a challenge for small business. We have engaged with suppliers to maximise the efficient use and disposal of waste materials such as packaging and we don't print brochures or price lists any more.

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Clearly, it mustn't stop there and we continually review new developments to ascertain if we can usefully implement them.

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