Since 2018 All Heating appliances ( apart from Electric fires, for some unknown reason) have had to test, and show energy efficiency labels in all Product literature and instruction manuals.
Understanding the energy efficiency of gas fires and the new EEI labelling ( Energy Efficiency Information = EEI
The useful efficiency is simply the ability for the product to convert the gas energy into heat for your room.
Energy labelling takes into account many other considerations. For example:
1. EEI rating is reduced if the product does not have an automatic thermostat.
2. EEI rating is reduced if the product does not have automatic timers, either daily or weekly
3. EEI rating is reduced if the product does not have distance operation (i.e operated by mobile phone)
4. EEI rating is reduced if the product does not have the ability to sense if the window is open in the room of operation.
5. EEI rating is INCREASED if the product runs on BIOMASS. These type of products (i.e Pellet stoves) have their energy efficiency inflated by 145% because the fuel is renewable.
It is also important to note that:
It is impossible* for a gas fire to attain an A++ or A+ rating.
It is impossible* for a gas fire to attain an A rating unless it features MOST of the items listed 1 through 4 above.
A gas fire can only achieve a B rating WITHOUT the items listed 1 through 4 above providing its’ net efficiency is equal or greater than 91%.
It is also important to understand that ALL electric fires are rated at an EEI of G. Electric fires do not have to display this label.
(*Based on our understanding of the EEI regulations due to come into force on 1st January 2018 and current efficiency ratings of products currently on sale in the UK market-place.)
It is also worth taking note that Percentage efficiency figures are only a guideline. When working out a % efficiency, the gas input and output figures are in single figures, so when the calculation is worked out, the drop in % efficiency is greater, than compared to, say a washing machine, where the figures are in the 1000’s, so a marginal drop in efficiency only changes the % rate by a fraction, compared to a Gas fire.
To conclude, whilst it is everyone’s vision to have a highly efficient form of heating, so our bills are lower, Don’t be so rigid in your thoughts that a fire which is 75% efficient is a bad fire, when in fact it is one of the highest fire in efficiency , Just plain mathematics makes it look bad. This is just an example of Organisations using a rigid system to rate everything, when not everything will fit into the certain ‘ Box’ they want to use. Visit the showroom, see for yourself the fire live and use your own personal judgement, if the fire is the right one for you.