OEX Folding Novo Stove: Recall, Safety and What Owners Should Do

The OEX Folding Novo gas stove was recalled on 6 June 2024, together with the OEX Folding Savo, because the gas hose may degrade over time. A degraded hose can lead to a gas leak and possible hose ignition. The recall notice carries the reference PSD number 2405-0060 and records a recall of the product from end users and a withdrawal of the product from the market¹.

If you own one, stop using it and check the model name before you cook on it again. If you were thinking of buying a folding gas stove for power cuts, this is the model to know about before you spend anything, and the recall is the first thing to understand about it.

This page sets out what the recall means for a household, how to check a stove you already own, why a degrading hose is a serious matter, and where to go for help. It also explains where a folding gas stove fits into an emergency plan, and what it can and cannot do when the power goes off.

Recall: OEX folding gas stoves and the gas hose risk

The recall notice was published on GOV.UK on 6 June 2024 under PSD number 2405-0060. It covers the OEX Folding Novo and the OEX Folding Savo gas stoves, and the reason given is that the gas hose may degrade over time, leading to a gas leak and possible hose ignition¹. The measure recorded is a recall of the product from end users and a withdrawal of the product from the market, which means the recall reaches stoves already in people's homes as well as stock still on sale¹.

A folding gas stove is the kind of kit a household buys for a power cut: something to boil a kettle or heat a pan when the electricity fails. That is exactly why the recall matters on a preparedness site. The stove may sit in a cupboard for months or years between outings, and a hose that degrades over time is a fault that develops while the stove is stored, not while it is being used.

The recall notice was notified by Local Authority Trading Standards¹. That is the same route by which other product safety notices reach the Office for Product Safety and Standards, including recalls of a baby seat, a plug-in heater and a pair of power banks³. It tells you the notice has been through a local authority before publication, not that the stove is a niche or unofficial product.

Two things follow for a household. First, the recall is official and dated, so it is the notice to act on rather than any later comment you may read elsewhere. Second, because the fault is in the hose rather than the burner or the body, a stove that lights and burns perfectly well can still be affected. The notice does not say that a stove which appears to work is safe.

If you own an OEX Folding Novo or Folding Savo, the practical step is to stop using it and follow the recall notice. If you are shopping for a folding stove for emergencies, the recall is a reason to check the model name carefully before you buy, particularly second-hand. Our guide to camping stoves for a power cut sets out the types available and how to choose between them, and the OEX brand page covers the maker's range.

What to do if you own an OEX folding gas stove

Work through these steps in order. The first is the one that matters most: stop using the stove until you know whether it is one of the recalled models.

1. Stop using the stove. Do not light it to "see if it is fine". The recall covers a hose that may degrade over time, and the notice records a recall from end users¹.
2. Find the model name. Check the stove body, the packaging and the instructions. The recall names the OEX Folding Novo and the OEX Folding Savo¹.
3. Check your paperwork. Appliance registration typically asks for the model name or number, the serial number and the purchase date, so your records may already identify the model⁶.
4. Follow the recall notice. The notice records the measure as a recall of the product from end users and a withdrawal from the market¹.
5. Contact the retailer or maker for their instructions on returning the stove and on what they are offering.
6. Register the replacement. If you buy another appliance, registering it means the manufacturer can contact you immediately if it is ever recalled⁷.

The recall notice does not set out refund or replacement terms in the text itself, so the route to a resolution is through the retailer or manufacturer you bought from. Manufacturers are expected to contact anyone who has purchased the faulty product where possible, to publish details of the recall and the risk the product poses, and to detail the steps they are taking alongside the recall to resolve the issue⁸. That is the standard the recall system works to, and it is what you can reasonably ask for.

If you cannot find the model name, treat the stove as suspect until you can. The cost of leaving it in the cupboard is nothing; the cost of using a stove with a leaking hose is a fire or a gas leak. Our backup stove kit checklist sets out what a household stove kit should contain, and the gas cartridges page explains valve types and storage for the cartridges such stoves use.

Why a degrading gas hose is a safety risk

A gas hose carries fuel from the cartridge or cylinder to the burner. If it degrades, the joint or the hose wall can fail, and the notice's own words are that this can lead to a gas leak and possible hose ignition¹. A leak near a lit burner is a fire risk; a leak in a confined space is a carbon monoxide risk as well.

The wider official picture is consistent. Badly fitted and poorly maintained gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning⁹. Public Health Wales advises having heating and cooking appliances serviced by a Gas Safe engineer, even if they seem to be working normally, because there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if they are not working properly¹⁰. A camping stove is not a mains appliance and is not serviced by a Gas Safe engineer, but the principle carries: gas kit that is out of condition is dangerous kit.

Carbon monoxide is the danger that catches households out because it has no smell and no colour. Fire and rescue services across the UK advise having a carbon monoxide alarm in the same room as any open fire or fuel burning stove¹¹. Foiling a gas hob is extremely hazardous because it limits the burning of the flame and creates dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the home¹². The same logic applies to any gas burner that is starved of air or badly maintained.

For a household, the lessons are simple. Keep gas kit outdoors when in use. Check hoses and joints before each season rather than the moment you need them. If a hose is cracked, stiff, or shows any sign of perishing, stop using the appliance and get advice. Our page on whether it is safe to use a camping stove indoors covers the ventilation question in full, and gas and heating failures explains what to do when mains gas or heating fails at home.

Where a folding gas stove fits in a household plan

A folding gas stove is a cooking backup, not a heating system. It boils water, heats a pan and makes a hot drink when the electricity is off, and that is the limit of what it should be asked to do. It does not warm a room, and it must not be used to try.

The household plan should say where the stove is stored, who checks it, and what it is for. A stove that has been in a shed for three years is not ready; a stove that has been checked, with a sound hose and a fresh cartridge, is. Our power cuts guide sets out the wider sequence of what to do when the electricity fails, and emergency food explains how to plan meals that need nothing more than boiled water.

If you are weighing up whether gas is the right fuel for your backup cooking at all, the comparison of gas cartridge or spirit burner stoves sets the two side by side by what each does and who each suits. Spirit burners avoid a pressurised gas hose altogether, which is a consideration for a household that wants to keep a stove in storage for years between uses. Neither type is safe indoors.

Local Authority Trading Standards and this recall

The OEX recall was notified by Local Authority Trading Standards¹. Trading Standards sits within local authorities and is the route by which many product safety notices reach the Office for Product Safety and Standards. The same notification route appears on recalls for a baby seat, a plug-in heater and Belkin power banks³, so it is the normal path rather than a sign that the OEX notice is unusual.

What does that mean for a household? It means the recall has been assessed and published through the official system, and it means your local authority's trading standards service is a legitimate place to ask questions if a retailer is not engaging. It does not mean the local authority will repair or replace your stove; the resolution comes from the retailer or manufacturer, working to the standard that manufacturers should contact purchasers where possible and detail the steps they are taking to resolve the issue⁸.

Councils also publish recall information for residents. Bath and North East Somerset Council, for example, maintains a product recalls page⁸. If you want to check whether other appliances in your home have been recalled, Electrical Safety First runs an online product checker, and fire and rescue services recommend using it to see if any of your appliances have been recalled¹³. The same source advises checking the list of recalled items on the Electrical Safety First website, which explains what to do with a recalled appliance⁶.

Keeping a gas stove ready between emergencies

A stove that lives in a cupboard needs a routine, not a memory. The point of a backup stove is that it works on the evening the power fails, and that means checking it before the season when you are most likely to need it.

• Check the hose and joints before each season, and stop using the appliance if anything looks perished, cracked or stiff¹.
• Check the model against recall notices before you rely on it, using the Electrical Safety First product checker¹³.
• Store cartridges as the maker instructs, and read our gas cartridges page for valve types and cold-weather behaviour.
• Keep the stove outdoors in use, in a well-ventilated area, every time².
• Register any replacement appliance so the manufacturer can contact you immediately if it is recalled⁷.
• Double-check that cooking appliances are turned off when you finish, as fire services advise for kitchen appliances generally¹⁴.

Fire and rescue services also stress the kitchen as the room where care pays. Make sure your cooker is or has been fitted properly¹⁵, and keep flammable items such as curtains and wall cupboards clear of anything that heats¹⁶. Those habits carry over to a camping stove: clear the area around it, keep it away from anything that can catch, and never leave it lit and unattended.

Our before-winter checklist for your heating and stove turns these checks into a seasonal routine, and the heating and cooking section covers the wider question of how a household cooks and stays warm without mains power.

Where to get help with a recalled stove

Start with the retailer or the manufacturer. They are the people who can tell you what is being offered for a recalled stove and how to return it. Manufacturers are expected to contact anyone who has purchased the faulty product where possible and to detail the steps they are taking alongside the recall to resolve the issue⁸.

If you need to check whether other appliances are affected, use the Electrical Safety First online product checker¹³, or the list of recalled items on the Electrical Safety First website, which explains what to do with a recalled appliance⁶. Further information from manufacturers on defects, or appliances that have been recalled, can also be found on the Electrical Safety First website¹⁷.

For households that need extra support, there are routes to help. Charities and councils offer help with second-hand furniture and household appliances¹⁸. If a power cut is part of the same emergency, the national power cut number is 105¹⁹. In Northern Ireland, the NIAS Community Resuscitation Team can be contacted at resus.admin@nias.hscni.net or on 028 9040 5215²⁰. NHS urgent help lines and resilience pages differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check the page for the nation you live in²¹.

If you are replacing a recalled stove, register the new appliance with the manufacturer. The Register My Appliance service explains that if any of those appliances is subject to a product recall in the future, the manufacturer will be able to contact you immediately to arrange for a replacement item or to carry out work on your appliance to make it safe⁷. That single step is the difference between hearing about a recall and hearing about it too late.

Our extra help in an emergency guide sets out the support available for older, disabled and medically dependent households, and staying informed explains how to keep receiving official warnings when the power or the phone signal fails.