A new report from the EU Product Safety Forum investigating a range of products’ compliance with EU ecodesign and energy labelling rules has found that 104 of the 135 local space heater models’ technical data was non-compliant with document checks.

Local space heaters include solid fuel (fossil and biomass), gas, liquid fuel, and electric heaters. The report apportioned the products tested based on the Ecodesign Impact Accounting Overview Report, which reveals an estimated 256 million electric heaters and 69 million solid fuel local heaters were installed across the EU in 2020.

The report, published in relation to the EEPLIANT3 project, verifies compliance with EU ecodesign and energy labelling requirements of products across six different categories: air conditioners and comfort fans, tumble dryers, hot water heaters and storage tanks, residential ventilation units, light sources, and local space heaters. Within the category of local space heaters, solid fuel and biomass appliances were assessed.

Document checks

In the report, 77% (104 of 135) local space heater models assessed were found to non-compliant with EU ecodesign and energy labelling requirements.

104 of the products were missing elements, missing information, or had errors in their EU declaration of conformity, CE marking, energy labelling, product information sheet or their technical documentation. Further non-conformities found in other inspections include missing energy labels, product information sheets, or test reports, and missing instructions, incorrect or unclear brand or model name, missing values, and non-reported emissions.

67 local space heater products were also checked from the EPREL (European Product Registry for Energy Labelling) database. Of these 67 products, only 8 had fully correct and complete documentation.

A lack of clear information and interpretation of regulatory requirements can make a product’s energy, emission, and efficiency documentation difficult to understand, making it more difficult for consumers to make an educated decision when purchasing a product.

Laboratory tests

Single laboratory tests were conducted on 52 local space heater models, with 14 solid fuel or biomass models undergoing testing against the energy labelling requirements. 5 out of 14 of these models were deemed to have a suspected non-compliance against the stipulations of the legislation, although there is no further detail available to determine what areas solid fuel space heaters failed in.

For gas heaters, 6 of 6 models tested had a suspected non-compliance. Tests on electric heaters found that 18 of 29 models had a suspected non-compliance after a single test.

Web shop checks

Further, 125 products that underwent document inspection also had their websites evaluated to determine if the relevant documentation was readily available online.

100% of the 46 websites assessed had compliance issues. These issues ranged from missing labels or product information sheets, energy labels placed too far from the price, incorrect nested display colour, or information being illegible and not readily accessible.

Results and enforcement

After the results of investigations and tests, follow-up measures were taken. Corrective measures and enforcements took place in the form of 50 informal notices, 46 informational letters, 29 warnings, and 19 resolutions of non-conformity. Market surveillance authorities also issued 13 sales bans and 7 financial penalties using the results from this report, and 18 local space heater models were withdrawn from the UK market.

This is relevant in the UK market. Recent enforcement measures from the Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) demonstrate how a major stove manufacturer has been found in breach of Ecodesign regulations and has been subject to enforcement measures, prohibiting 10 products from being listed on the UK market.

Peace of mind with Cleaner Choice

While the report investigated and tested various types of local space heaters, with the predominant category being electric heaters, the results still highlight the need for clear, accessible information across the heating industry.

Consumers are empowered to make the right choice when they are presented with all the information – all Cleaner Choice certified appliances are independently verified to ensure all relevant EU legislation requirements are met, including energy labelling and ecodesign rules, and the results of independent, robust tests are displayed on the HETAS website.

Calvin May, HETAS Head of Technical Services, emphasised the importance of compliance within the sector:

In order to make informed choices on the right heating appliance for them, consumers should have peace of mind knowing that their solid fuel heating appliance adheres to all the relevant legislative requirements. This report has indicated that there is need for improvement in the continued risk that not all products are as transparent as they can be. Whether this is technical documentation or readily accessible online information, the lack of required data may be alarming to some appliance owners.

“HETAS is dedicated to ensuring compliance, and this is supported by the Cleaner Choice certification scheme. All appliances certified under this scheme have undergone independent, impartial verification to make sure all relevant requirements are met and these results are not only transparently shared, but regularly reviewed to ensure existing data is still representative.

“This report reveals a wide array of missing documentation and non-compliance across multiple product categories, including solid fuel and biomass local space heaters. Voluntary schemes like Cleaner Choice certification display a manufacturer’s commitment to compliance – something this report has revealed is not necessarily always the case.