Stoves

A wood-burning stove is one of the few heaters that keeps working when both the electricity and the gas supply fail, which is why many UK households treat one as part of their emergency plan. It heats the room it stands in without any mains input, and some log stoves are available with a back boiler to provide hot water as well¹. But a stove only earns its place in a plan if it is looked after. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are blunt about the routine: "If you do have a stove, get it checked once a year by a Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS) engineer"².

This page sets out what that yearly check involves, how to keep a stove safe and ready for an emergency, how to use one during a power cut, and the warning signs that mean you should stop using it. It sits alongside our wider guides on heating and cooking without mains power and power cuts.

The yearly HETAS check

The Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS) is the competent person scheme for solid fuel appliances: London Fire Brigade notes that anyone carrying out work on solid fuel installations in your home must be registered with HETAS⁷, and Defra's Burn Better campaign advises getting your stove installed by an installer registered on a competent person scheme certified by HETAS, APHC, BESCA, Certsure, NAPIT or OFTEC⁸. Public Health Wales extends the annual rule to chimneys and flues as well as the appliance itself³.

Between professional visits, Defra's Burn Better campaign lists maintenance you can do yourself: clean out the ash, check firebricks for cracks, clean the stove glass, check the seal around the stove door, and clean the outside of the stove⁸. Chimney sweeping is the other half of the job. Surrey's home fire safety guidance recommends using a HETAS certified sweep⁹, and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's chimney fire safety campaign notes that a sweep will offer bespoke advice on using your appliance and choosing fuels to get the maximum heat from it¹⁰. The same campaign points out that the more often you use your stove, the more likely you are to have a chimney fire¹¹, so heavy winter use, exactly the use an emergency demands, makes sweeping more important, not less.

Thatched properties: a bigger risk than an open fire

If you live under thatch, treat a stove with real caution. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service state that stoves "present a bigger risk of a fire in your thatched property than a traditional open fire"². The trap runs both ways: using the stove at high temperatures risks sparks catching the thatch, while using it at a low temperature coats the chimney with soot and tar, which can lead to a chimney fire². Warwickshire's thatched roof fire safety guidance adds that most thatched fires start in the roof space¹². If you have a thatched home, make an escape plan in the event of a fire².

Before you rely on a stove in an emergency

A stove that has sat idle since last winter may not be safe to fire up the moment the lights go out, so get it ready before the storm season rather than during it. Have it serviced, have the flue swept, and check the alarms. Warwickshire County Council advises that every household should have at least one carbon monoxide alarm, with additional units recommended for each floor, near sleeping areas and near potential sources such as wood-burning stoves⁴; alarms are available from DIY and hardware stores⁷, and should be tested at least once a month⁴. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service encourage everyone with open fires or stoves to fit both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors⁶.

Fuel storage matters as much as fuel quality. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service reported a spike in wood burner incidents and warn that storing wood and other fuel immediately next to a woodburning stove is a danger, because heat can build up and lead to a fire igniting⁶. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service have attended fires caused the same way⁵. Store fuels separately, away from the appliance, to reduce fire loading and stop a fire starting and spreading⁹.

Using a stove safely during a power cut

During a power cut a stove becomes the warm room and, if you are careful, the kitchen too. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service advise taking extra care and using appropriate protection when opening the stove door, adding wood to the fire or touching any part of the stove, to avoid burns⁵. If you boil water, Public Health Wales advise using a kettle rather than pots and pans where you can, keeping panhandles out of reach of children and using a lid¹³. Some log stoves are available with a back boiler to provide hot water¹.

A stove is not the only way to cook in a power cut. Food Standards Scotland note you can cook food and heat water using a camping stove, barbecue or bottled gas stove, but cooking with these can take longer than usual, so make sure food is steaming hot and cooked all the way through¹⁴. The Food Standards Agency adds that most of these appliances are designed for outdoor use only, so check the manufacturer's instructions for safe use¹⁵. For the wider picture, see our guides on emergency food and water in an emergency.

Warning signs that mean stop using the stove

Some warning signs come from the appliance itself. NHS guidance on carbon monoxide lists coal or wood fires that burn slowly or go out, sooty stains on or near appliances, and excessive condensation in the room as signs to act on¹⁶. Forest Research guidance adds that visible smoke emission from the chimney is a sign of inefficient combustion¹. If you notice any of these, stop using the stove, ventilate the room, and get it checked before lighting it again. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or anyone in the household feels unwell, treat it as an emergency and seek medical help; see our guide to home emergencies.

Where to get help with a stove

Start with the register: HETAS is the contact point for solid fuel appliance engineers and installers, searchable at hetas.co.uk³. If your wood burner is not burning correctly, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service advise contacting the company or shop that sold it to you, or the British Solid Fuel Appliance Manufacturers' Association for advice⁵. For how a stove fits a wider household plan, see getting started and the emergency kit guide.