Advertisements claiming that wood-burning stoves have “excessive emissions” have been banned by the advertising agency as frivolous and unsubstantiated.
The claims were made on the website of the stove industry association, which represents manufacturers and sellers of stoves in the UK. Anti-air pollution campaigners said they were delighted Asa had debunked some “seriously false myths”.
The first claim said: “Used correctly, a modern wood-burning fire is a cost-effective way to heat the main space of your home.” A second said: “A modern stove and dry wood fuel can lower emissions and improve efficiency compared to an open fire or older stove.”
the The ASA ruled both claims were misleading and not verified. “AD will not appear again in the complaining form,” said Asa’s statement.
Burning wood and coal in the home contributes to almost 2,500 deaths a year in the UK, according to analysis published in October. Stopping unnecessary burning could save the NHS more than £54m a year, experts conclude.
More than 90% of people have other sources of heating And only about 10% of people say that they have burned down the house unnecessarily. Many use stoves and fires for their aesthetic appeal.
“We’re so glad that Asa saw through the smoke and thought some seriously about busting the myths around your health,” said Jemima Hartshorn, founder of Mums for lungs. “An open fire, an old or a new stove are all bad choices and are linked to many diseases. Now the government must wake up and protect our children by getting rid of the wood burning house.”
Larissa Lockwood, the Director of Policy and Campaigns at Plan to move the worldsaid: “It’s very reassuring to see Asa knowing what we know to be the case, burning wood is the biggest factor in heating your home.”
“The health effects are not only felt by people who choose to burn wood in their homes, but also by their families, neighbors and surrounding communities, who are inadvertently exposed to toxic air,” said Lockwood.
After the newsletter promotion
A spokesman for the stove industry (Sia) said: “Sia is preparing to request an independent review of the proposed procedures.
Among the materials submitted to the ASA in response to the complaint was data from government-backed government agencies Historical National Atmospheric Inventory.
Asa’s ruling said: “Data shows modern stoves emit significantly less PM2.5 [particle pollution] than the old fireplaces. However, it showed modern stoves emitted more PM2.5 than the older stove types listed… it also showed that other emissions were higher, and in some cases significantly higher, for dry wood burned in a modern stove as opposed to an open domestic fireplace, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and several other toxins.”