HETAS has agreed a statement with Trading Standards following confusion over the CE marking of solid fuel, wood and biomass appliances.

From 1 July last year any solid fuel products were required to have a CE mark under the Construction Product Regulations. The requirements for manufacturers are straightforward: everything they sold after 1 July last year had to be CE marked. The only exception is for appliances which were manufactured and had been placed on the market prior to that date to allow for a transition period. For instance if the appliance was in stock with a retailer before 1 July 2013, or had been bought by the installer or customer before that date.

Reiterating its position on CE marking, HETAS chief executive Bruce Allen said: “The Construction Product Regulation applies to any individual product that was placed in the supply chain from the 1 July 2013. Any products placed on the market from that date are required to be CE marked by virtue of this Regulation.

“Any solid fuel products (including wood burning and biomass) and associated equipment are therefore required to bear the CE mark. If a product does not carry the CE mark then enquiries should be made to ensure that it was placed on the market prior to the 1 July 2013.

“Placed on the market means, available in the supply chain within the EU market. If this cannot be confirmed, a non CE marked product must not be installed. This statement is intended as a summary of the law and is given in good faith, however only the Courts can provide a definitive interpretation of Statute Law.”

All HETAS approved appliances have been checked for CE compliance, and are listed in the HETAS Guide which is distributed free of charge to HETAS registered businesses and to Local Authorities, retailers and other industry stakeholders, or is available online.