What is a HETAS Registered Installer & Why do I Need One?

Your stove needs to be properly and safely installed. If you're a dab hand at DIY, you can tackle it yourself or you can find a professional whose work is regulated by the industry body that specialises in stove installation.
To learn more and to help you decide which option is right for your home, read our short guide to the pros and cons of each.

Getting My Stove Fitted

Option 1: Find A Fitter

Finding an experienced installer is easy. Just as with contractors and plumbers, there is a government-recognised Competent Person Scheme that registers trained professionals within the industry. This scheme for the stove industry is overseen by HETAS.

The easiest way of finding a local, qualified installer near you is by visiting the HETAS website.

It is worth noting that there are other bodies like Oftec that have now entered the market and have their own scheme, but the vast majority will be HETAS approved.

Tip: Try to get a broad range of quotes and be sure to look at "man with a van" style installers too. You may find that some showrooms will favour their own products and quite firmly discourage you from buying online because they rely on making good margins from both stove sales and fitting services.

Option 2: Self-Install

If you are based in the UK, it is still legal to self-install a woodburning stove.

In England and Wales, this job will need to be signed off by the council to ensure it meets building regulations. This can cost a few hundred pounds in some cases, but this will still be significantly cheaper than getting someone in to do the work for you. We would always suggest keeping the paperwork for any items that you have fitted especially the liner, as the inspector may want to see this.

There are articles and videos online that run through exactly how to fit a stove to the current building regulations. Installing a stove into an existing chimney is within the reach of a competent DIY-er and the hardest part is often getting onto the roof itself to drop the liner down or opening up and preparing the fireplace.

Twin Walled Chimney Systems

An installation where there is no chimney at all, requires a "twin walled chimney system" and this does have more regulations attached to it, as the chimney needs to be a certain height and distance away from the roof. You also need to ensure that you comply with regulations surrounding distances to combustibles, if you plan to fit the stove against a plasterboard wall for example. Unless you are experienced or are prepared to read through and understand the regulations, we would suggest using a HETAS installer for this job!

What is HETAS?

HETAS stands for Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme. It is an independent not-for-profit certification body that works with the government and the stove industry to provide expert assessments of stove professionals and suppliers. If an installer is registered by HETAS it means they have passed HETAS’s rigorous assessment of their work. This assessment will look at the installer's paperwork and qualifications, and an inspection will be carried out on a stove they have installed. All of this ensures their work is up to industry standards and follows strict government guidelines for safety and sustainability. HETAS is the only Competent Person Scheme that specialises in installing wood burning and multi-fuel stoves.

Why use a HETAS Registered Installer?

• So you can be confident that your stove installer is qualified to install your stove safely and professionally
• To be certain that your stove will comply with building rules and regulations
• To make sure your stove complies with the manufacturer's guarantee

How to Find a HETAS Registered Installer

Use the HETAS website ‘Find Installer’ search to look for a registered stove installer. To use the search, click here and scroll down to ‘Search our registered businesses’. Click on ‘installers’, then type your postcode into the search bar. The map on the right will then pop up with the locations of local HETAS registered installers for you to choose from.