45 Years Of Corian

Invented and produced by DuPont, Corian® is a solid surface offering superior design possibilities and excellent long-term performance, used both in the home and in many different commercial environments, from hotels to healthcare, retail to marine.
With its balance of beauty and performance, Corian® lends itself to imaginative uses, innovative designs and enduring applications.
If you can imagine it, you can probably create it with Corian®. Available in over 100 colours, Corian® can be carved, routed or worked like wood, moulded, thermoformed or inlayed… the design options are almost limitless, but enough of the endless possibilities that Corian® can be used for, we're going to look at just one, and one fire manufacturer that have created arguably one of the most popular fires of the last few years.

In April this year Corian® will celebrate it's 45th year. almost half a century of creating everything from kitchen worktops, to pieces of modern art and even gas and electric fires. With this milestone in mind we showcase just how one fire manufacturer showcases this amazing material.
Brilliant Fires are the only manufacturer to take advantage of the versatile material, creating stunning fires from the Brilliant NewDawn-E, a breath-taking electric fire with a flame effect that is totally unique and almost without competition in terms of authentic appearance, to the Ledge suite, combining this stunning material with a beautiful hole-in-the-wall style fireplace

The Brilliant Ledge is a Simple yet chic fireplace design and makes a bold statement without being over the top. Boasting fully automatic remote control as standard and makes a stunning focal point in any room. While the choice of Corian® finishes allows you to choose a colour that contrasts or complements existing decor. The 2.7kW heat output means this fire will give you that warm glow in an evening and help keep that cold edge off long after the central heating has turned off.

Another model in the Brilliant range that showcases a stunning Corian® fascia is the NewDawn and Brilliant NewDawn-E. These stunning fires combine the stunning Corian® fascia of the Ledge and Slab ranges with a simple Hole-In-The-Wall style finish to create a highly desirable finish that can be tempered to your colour scheme.


The micro-chip controlled LED flame effect eliminates the need for ribbons and fans that add to the depth of the fire, meaning the Newdawn-E is a mere 75mm deep, approximately half the depth of a majority of the other electric fires on the market, but this depth doesn't detract from the heat output, offering 2kWof fan heat blowing from the bottom, meaning it may be possible to install underneath a television, but it may be worth double checking with the tv manufacturer first, just to be on the safe side.


All of these fires are available in over 100 different colours of Corian® finishes, allowing you to go for a neutral colour to complement existing decor, or to contrast, creating a bold design statement and drawing maximum attention to your fire.

Manufacture Focus: Cast Tec

Cast Tec has its origins back in 1983 when Managing Director Geoff Moore became a sole trader buying and restoring original cast-iron fireplaces using the family ‘dip & strip’ business premises in North Shields as a base.
Demand for cast-iron fireplaces was very limited in the early 1980’s but with a housing boom looming in the South-East weekly commuting took place to Camden Market in north London to sell fireplaces from an indoor market stall on a weekend.
1984 heralded a small shop unit in Camden Lock called the Victorian Fireplace Co. where original fireplaces purchased in the north-east were sold for 15 years.

1987 saw the restoration and manufacturing side of the business moving to a factory workshop in Washington, Tyne & Wear.
Brian Hart, now Cast Tec’s Operations Director, joined from the company at this time to take on the responsibility for running the workshop.
1990 saw the housing boom turn sour and the recession of the early 1990’s affected trading conditions in the London shop. The response was to open a retail showroom in the Washington premises in the north. Called Grate Expectations, the showroom opened in 1989 and traded for 15 years.
1998 saw the humble beginnings of Cast Tec when it was decided that the Distribution of Reproduction cast-iron fireplaces to the trade would be the way forward. It was the only way supply could meet demand in the future and an approach was made by Britannia Castings which resulted in the exclusive rights for Cast Tec to distribute what became the Portman Collection range of cast-iron products in the UK.
1999 heralded the end of an era with the closure of The Victorian Fireplace Co. shop in Camden Lock due to the increasing difficulty of obtaining original fireplaces with demand outstripping supply.
That year Tony Byrne, who ran the London shop from 1995-99, became the first sales/delivery driver for Cast Tec progressing on to become Sales Director. 
2002 saw Cast Tec become a Limited Company and the following year they gained the exclusive rights to import and distribute the Agnews range of quality cast-iron fireplaces throughout the UK mainland.
2005 saw the established Firemaster name and range of products being brought into the Cast Tec stable on behalf of the Ouzledale Foundry Co. Ltd.
2006 heralded an exciting move for the 20 staff of Cast Tec Ltd. to a new 30,000 sq ft. factory premises inside the Port Of Tyne in South Shields where they have access to the Port’s outstanding facilities.

Hole In The Wall Fires - A Simple Guide

Just over a decade ago a hole-in-the-wall gas fire was almost impossible to find, with most fires stilll following a traditional period design, while looking brilliant and doing a great job at replicating the look of a real fire, will give out very little heat into the room and uses a very large amount of gas.
Oh how the world has changed, we're less than a month into 2012, the Olympic year, and there 99 products on Fireplace Megastore alone under Hole In The Wall Gas Fires, Class 1 and 2. That doesn't include any Balanced flue or Catalytic Flueless fires that further add to the available options.
An incredible number of UK manufacturer's have created designs, as well as European manufacturers such as Drugasar, have introduced or imported an amazing array of gas fires. You can still get the traditional basket style, some of which have been improved to offer a better heat output..

The most basic open-fronted hole-in-the-wall design is open-fronted, much like the Verine Atina, look realistic but at least 90% of all heat disappears up the chimney and research actually indicates that some designs actually remove heat from the room. Realism tends to change proportionally to efficiency. In terms of looks, inset convector fires, are realistic with contemporary surrounding metalwork and open front. Efficiency is far better than an hole-in-the-wall design and typically around 35 – 40%. Most efficient, but not realistic in some people’s view, is the glass-fronted, gas-inset, hole-in-the-wall fire, such as the Drugasar Global 90 or Apex Influence. Its glass front gives efficiencies of 70% plus, particularly when the design utilises a balanced flue (which requires no chimney– Drugasar are one of the principle manufacturers of balanced flue fires). Not all glass fronted designs are balanced flue – chimney flues and fanned flues are also common. Hole-in-the-wall fires are available with all the popular fuel effects.Although coals remain the most popular choice (and the most realistic), logs come a good second with new fuel effects like dancing flames, pebbles, driftwood and twigs also popular. Traditional hole-in-the-wall designs need coal or log effects – the more modern options simply look out of place.

Electrical Designs
There are a growing number of electric hole in the wall design. These have a number of advantages in that they do not need chimneys or other flues, are often quite shallow in depth and may simply hang on the wall. Like most electric fires, a maximum of 2 kW of heat is available from a built-in, fanned convector.Some, such as the Drugasar Metro 80e, are available as the highly contemporary frameless finish, but most offer that simple hang on the wall installation.

Bio-Ethanol

A recent addition to the hole in the wall range of fires available, and besides electric fires amoung the easiest to install. Unlike gas fires they do not require a chimney, flue or vent in the room and provide 100% efficiency. Another advantage of such fires means that unlike gas fires that require a Gas Installer to service the appliance every 12 months, most bioethanol fires feature only 1 moving part so are incredibly reliable.

Surrounds
A hole-in-the-wall fire is not complete without a surround. Although some people like a design that is just a rectangular alcove in the wall, most want the fire to be surrounded with some sort of fireplace. Marble and stone are the favoured materials for the surround and will probably have to be cut to size for your installation. If you use stone, make sure that it does not have a direct flame playing on the stone as some types can degrade dramatically in these conditions. Marble fireplaces can be made out of natural or conglomerate marble. However, conglomerate marble will start to disintegrate at high temperatures and is more suitable for gas fires. Also consider a brick surround. This will have to be tailor made for your fireplace but bricks are a robust hole-in-the-wall material that will stand high levels of thermal shock.

Installation
Hole-in-the-wall installation can be expensive. If you have an existing chimney, your installer will have to
‘break into’ it above the normal fireplace opening. This probably means inserting a lintel above the new opening to support the chimney brickwork. Below the new opening, the brickwork will have to be built up to the level required for your particular design. It is possible to build a false chimney breast for your proposed hole-in-the-wall fire. This would allow a flue to rise vertically from a conventionally-flued gas or solid fuel design and would accommodate the depth of the unit itself. Check with the instructions of the fire you choose as it will stipulate minimum distances that the fire can be sited from combustible materials.Some hole-in-the-wall fires do not require hearths while other do. For gas fires this depends on what was agreed when the fire was tested for conformity to European standards. Check on the requirements for the fire you want to purchase. If a hearth is required, for a open gas fire, it must be at least 50mm thick, overlap the burning area of the fire by at least 150 mm and project at least 300 mm in front of the foremost flames of burning fuel. It can be either mounted directly below the floor or a ground level – the former option is normally unacceptable on aesthetic grounds. Balanced flue hole-in-the-wall fires are growing in popularity, particularly manufacturers such as Drugasar, Site them on an outside wall and you can forget all the problems of moving lintels, etc.

Opening Up Your Fireplace

So you've just moving into a new house or flat and notice there is a chimney breast in your living room but no fireplace! No living room can be complete without a fireplace, both as a focal point and as a compliment to other heating the room, allowing you to turn down the central heating and just enjoy the warmth that a gas, solid fuel or electric fire offers.
Where Do I Start?
To start you'll need to find out if your chimney breast has a fireplace opening. Tap where you thing the fireplace is, or if there is an air-brick, remove it. This will help determine what has been used to block up the opening, whether plasterboard, MDF, timber or block-work.
If you're a competent handy-person you may be able to try and remove the material blocking the opening, but if you find a broken lintel, or no lintel at all, STOP IMMEDIATELY and call in a building professional.
Now I've Made My Opening, Is My Chimney Usable?
Whether the chimney is usable rests entirely on your chimney or flue has a pull, or up- draught, without this there would be no way of drawing the harmful exhaust gases out of the room. (To get an  idea of what flue you have click here)

Most gas fitters, or solid fuel engineers will test the pull of a chimney by using a smoke pellet or match, but you can test this yourself. Try lighting a match, blowing it out near the entrance to the flue, see if the smoke trail is sucked up the chimney.
Ideally you should see the smoke trail be sucked up the chimney, indicating a good pull by the flue. If not, this may be because the flue has been partially or completely blocked, or even removed! Check rooms above or in the loft, the chimney breast should go through those rooms too, a missing chimney breast would need to be rebuilt to re-instate the flue before you could use a conventionally flued appliance.
Although it does not stop you using a catalytic flueless gas fire or a bio-ethanol fire. Another issue may be that the chimney has been capped, head outside (weather permitting) and look up at the chimney, binoculars may be helpful, to see if there is a metal cap on the chimney pots. This cap would need to be removed and providing that the rest of flue is intact then removal of the cap will re-instate the pull of the flue, allowing the freedom to have fires such as the stunning Drugasar Eclipse suite (shown right).
I've done all of the above, but my chimney still has no pull, I think it's blocked.
The best thing to do would be to consult a chimney sweep and see if they can sweep the chimney and clear any blockage. If you're looking to install a wood or solid fuel appliance then most manufacturers recommend having the chimney swept every 6 months, with many stove manufacturers advising that a flue liner be fitted to ensure the flue has a uniform pull.
I've Decided What Fire I Want, Can I Fit It Myself?
No, Simple As That. Gas fires must be fitted by an installer registered with Gas Safe, likewise any solid fuel appliance must be fitted by a HETAS registered engineer. Both of these are legal requirements and doing it yourself may make it very difficult to sell the property, or worse, could seriously endanger your life.

Interior Design Trends For 2012 - Victoriana

In our second entry on design trends for 2012 we look at Victoriana. Family life revolved around the fireplace, hot water would come from the stove, almost all heat came exclusively from the fireplace with the Cast Iron "Victorian" radiator not becoming commonplace until the very late 19th Century.
No Victorian style living room would be complete without the traditional fireplace, so in this entry we shall suggest some of the very best ideas to complete that Victoriana finish. Forget the over-furnished rooms and heavy drapes. While traditional and would give the Victorian finish, they are a little bit over the top for our liking.
Our first suggestion is part of the Premier range from Cast Tec, The Cast Tec Dublin Cast Iron Insert with  the Harton Cast Iron Surround. The traditional Victorian finish is displayed in the quality antique finish and complements the matt black and highlight polished areas of the Harton fireplace surround.
Available with either gas, electric or solid fuel means this fire is suitable for anyone, whether you have a chimney or not:

• Gas fire with a maximum heat input of 6.9kW with natural gas as standard and is suitable for class 1 or 2 flues
• Electric fire that comes with two heat settings of 900W & 1800W which is controlled by a remote control as standard, top venting fire with LED effect and adjustable height
• Solid fuel kit which comes complete with fret, ashpan, grate and operating tool. Capable of burning wood peat, and other smokeless fuels

The Dublin & Harton could be used just to give that Victorian highlight and a focal point, or, as pictured in conjunction with other furniture in the room to create a stunning theme that can be the basis for a beautiful home.

Our next suggestion is another cast-iron combination, This time from Carron. The Lambourn Cast-Iron Combination features traditional Victorian styling, that just like the Cast Tec Dublin would create an ideal talking point in any room. The detailing on the mantle and the canopy both add to the effect, while the choice of solid fuel, natural gas or LPG mean that you can have that stunning center-piece, while the choice of tiles means that you can cater the apperaance to your existing decor.

Both of the above fireplaces would create that a stunning Victorian feel to any room, rarely was any piece of furniture not adorned with accessories, pieces were carefully positioned for maximum impact.  Pick lighting, throws and cushions with needlepoint detailing, lampshades with intricate patterns; mini statuettes and even faux stuffed animals to complete that Victoriana look.

Interior Design Trends For 2012

With 2011 now in the record books, with a much warmer winter than previous years. Many of you may have elected to stick with that tired old fire. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the phrase that springs to mind and rightfully so, why should you spend a large amount of money on a brand new fire, often following trends that less than three months later are 'so last year'. 
So in the following few entries, with the help of Channel 4 Homes, we will details some of the upcoming trends for 2012 and how to get that 'bang-on-trend' fire, fireplace or stove.


Mid-Century Modern
We've long been fans of this look and despite its mainstream popularity for the past two or three years, its popularity is still not dying down. If anything, it is becoming even more popular. With fashions returning that first became popular in the 50's/60's/70's.
The first fire we suggest to create that Mid-Century modern look is the Smeg L30FAB flueless gas fire. This stunning flueless gas fire is available in four different colours, ranging from the bold red pictured above to Cream, Silver & Black. With a heat output of 2.6kW and 100% efficiency this fire can serve both as a bold fashion statement and as an incredibly efficient complimentary heat source for your living room, dining room or kitchen! 
For a more 70's look the why not combine the Brilliant NewDawn fire, available in both gas and electric with some retro wall paper to create a focal point on a chimney breast. Shown on the left in Hot Corian to match the bright red leather of a sofa. There is a lovely corner group available from House2Home Megastore.
Both these fires would be perfect to create that Mid-Century Modern trend that will become "Hot" property in 2012. 

One final fire to create that Mid-Century Modern look is the Apex Saverno with Art Deco Trim. While the Art Deco movement became popular in the 1920's, it was still prevalent throughout the mid-20th Century. This Stunning fire with simple horizontal detailing and contrast between the brushed steel and matt black fascia levels offers an eye-catching focal point. These fires also have the simplicity, unlike gas fires that mean they can be simply wall mounted, such as electric fires and then used without a flue, chimney or vent. 
With more and more high street stores are embracing the look running with it in their ranges - from furniture and wallcoverings, right through to accessories, so you can match your fire to your decor and create that incredibly desirable mid-century modern look.

Trading standards warning over bogus 'energy saving' plugs

Trading standards officers tackle everything from fake goods to scams and enforce consumer related legislation. Photograph: Christopher Thomond

The £99 plug-in device claims to save users 40% on energy bills, but actually poses a risk of fire and electrocution, Jill Insley of The Guardian Reports

Rogue telephone fraudsters are targeting older people with the offer of "energy saving devices" that could result in fire or electrocution.
The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) is dealing with more than 200 complaints about people who have claimed to be a victim's energy supplier, or working in partnership with them, and are offering a plug-in device costing £99 which they say can save users 40% on energy bills. But trading standards has had a number of the devices tested and found that they not only failed to satisfy electrical safety standards, but do not deliver any tangible energy savings.
Ron Gainsford, TSI chief executive, said: "Consumers are warned not to use the product as they pose a risk of fire and electrocution, and a safety recall has been issued for the items traced so far.
"Unscrupulous criminals are using the rising energy prices as an opportunity to lure cash strapped consumers – elderly people seem to have been deliberately targeted. The number of complaints we are currently dealing with is bound to be only the tip of the iceberg."
The City of Westminster Trading Standards Service has been investigating the scam as the caller gives a London W1 Oxford Street address for the company, but this belongs to a "virtual" office provider.
Sue Jones from Westminster trading standards said: "The companies involved in these scams are not actually situated there. We believe the call centre they use is based abroad and the appliances appear to be distributed by a number of individuals in the UK."
She said complainants had told trading standards the caller always appears to be very credible, already knowing a consumer's details, their energy supplier and sometimes some or all of the digits of their credit or debit card.
"Often consumers do not realise that they have been defrauded until they receive the dodgy looking device with instructions in broken English and the accompanying invoice which names an unknown supplier and often gives an American address," Jones said.
So far, four different suppliers have been named – 1 Stop Marketing Solutions, ITC Development Corp, Power Saver, and Athico Ltd – but the fraudsters could be operating under other names too. Some of these names could be very similar to genuine companies: for example, Power Saver Ltd based in Tonbridge, Kent, is not involved in this fraud.
The director of Athico Ltd appears to have been a victim of the scam himself. He fully co-operated with trading standards and the company has now ceased trading.
If consumers have responded to one of these cold calls they should report the matter via Action Fraud's website or call 0300 123 2040, or call Consumer Direct on 0845 404 0506. They should also contact their bank to stop their debit or credit card. If a device has been received they should not use it and dispose of it carefully.
The plugs involved have the model number SD 001 and are manufactured by MacroPlus, B1208 City Square, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Trading standards said consumers should be cautious about giving out any personal or financial information. They should independently verify a caller's identity before agreeing to purchase any goods or services.

Evonic Fires: Manufacturer Focus

Evonic Fires is a brand of CK Fires, situated just outside of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Birthplace of none other the Shakesphere himself and surrounded by culture and history, you can find Evonic Fires on the banks of the river avon.

Evonic Fires have been working hard to bring you one of the widest choices of quality electric fires, built in Britain and exclusively available through retail outlets so you wont find them for sale from any online only companies. Evonic Fires belieive, as do many fire & fireplace retailers, that to get the best service and to truly get the fire you are looking for requires face-to-face interaction with a highly trained member of showroom staff. You can truly pick their brains as it were to get the knowledge, facts and most importantly the most informed choice when it comes to choosing your fire.

The Evonic Fires range includes both inset and wall mounted fires alongside electric stoves, utilising the latest technologies in 3D LED technology  which produce arguably one of the most beautiful flame effects for just £1.00 per year.

Alongside the wonderful products such as the Endeavour 3D, Euphoria, Pioneer and Discovery 3D Evonic Fires also offer peace of mind, offering a 2 year warranty instead of the statutory 12 months offered by most.

Available from all good independent showroom retailers, including Fireplace Megastore, support the British ecomony in these tough times and buy British.

Europa Westerby, Simplicity in Limestone

Europa Fireplaces have recently unveiled a range of natural Limestone fireplaces, you can find the whole range here.

But for this article we've decided to focus on just one. The Europa Westerby.

The Europa Westerby, unlike many other limestone surrounds does not get caught up in trying to be ornate or adding unnessesary detail. It focuses on doing main purpose correctly, housing a fire. But this utilitarian approach does not mean you're stuck with an ugly fireplace, quite the contrary in my opinion. The clean vertical lines of the legs of the surround and strong line across the top of the fireplace adds horizontal definition and creates a very simple, yet very effective fireplace surround.

Subtle, functional detailing such as where the header meets the legs and the joins in the three-piece back panel mean that the fireplace is not strikingly modernist. Combined with the choice of material, natural limestone means the clean lines, broken up with the natural mineral deposits, inclusions and fossils that limestone fireplaces all include mean the Europa Westerby offers an incredible feeling of quality while also being functional.

The Europa Westerby is now available for all Europa Fireplace dealers.
Find your local dealer at http://www.europafireplaces.co.uk/

How To Childproof Your Fireplace

There's nothing more exciting for babies who've just started crawling, than exploring what's around them, whether it's a cupboard, a shoe or a staircase. And there's nothing more horrifying for a parent than seeing their little bundle of joy approaching an unprotected fireplace. That's why it's really important to make sure that your fireplace is fully protected and inaccessible for your child, no matter how fast they become.
First things first, make sure that any small, loose objects, such as matches and gas keys, are well out of reach of curious little fingers.
Ensure that the tools that you use for your fire, like pokers, brushes and tongs, cannot be pulled or knocked over.
Invest in a good quality Fire Guard, which will be cool to touch, should your little darling escape your clutches.
Before they even get to the hearth, a fireplace hearth isn't the most friendly place to be, with sharp edges and hard surfaces. To keep your child from the hearth, it could be worth using a gate to keep children away from fire, tools and hearth.
But while they protect your child, they're not very attractive and might ruin the aesthetic of your romantic fire on a cold night. Therefore, if a gate isn't the look you're going for, you could try foam hearth cushions or adhesive padding, which are easily removed once a certain someone is getting its beauty sleep.
Most importantly, don't leave your child unattended near a fire, whether it's burning or not - even without the flames, it's a not a good place for a small person.
It's worth remembering that even if you take all these steps, fireplaces are still hazardous, however big or small you are. Think about what a fireplace might look like to you if you hadn't been in the world very long and what other measures you need to take to make it safe. After all, once you've put in the effort to make it safe, you can all enjoy the comfort and warmth that your fireplace brings.

Save money on your heating bills with a new, smart energy meter

British Gas launch touch-screen meter reader to help customers set energy budgets and save money on bills.

To help homeowners control their bills and save money, British Gas are rolling out touch screen smart meters to their customers that will show exactly how much energy is being used in pounds and pence and allow for energy comparisons by hour, day, week and year.

Customers can use the touch screen meter reader panel to set up a user profile based on a few questions about the house — e.g. property type and number of rooms — so that energy consumption can be budgeted against realistic targets. It then uses a traffic light system to alert users as to when large amounts of gas or electricity are being used. Monitoring energy bills with the smart meter aims to help households save up to 10 per cent on their bills, equivalent to £105 a year.
The touch screen pad can be placed anywhere in the home and meter readings will be sent directly to British Gas so there’s no more estimated bills, only bills based on exact usage.
British Gas has installed 400,000 meters in customer’s homes already and will begin the roll out again this month to have it in 10 million British Gas homes by 2019*. It’s a phased roll out so smart meters will first be given to households where old meters have reached the end of their lifecycle and need replacing. The same will apply to new customers – a smart meter will only replace meters that have reached the end of their lifecycle.
Find out more about smart meters at britishgas.co.uk...

NPower joins the rise

npower has become the latest gas and electricity provider to increase its domestic prices with fixed rates for the next two years, blaming the decision on "world events [which] have pushed up prices".

From 1 October, the average dual fuel customer will see an increase of 37p per day. Single fuel customers will see a 15.7% rise in fees for gas and 7.2% for electricity.

Kevin Miles, chief commercial officer at RWE npower – which is part of the RWE group that owns npower – said: "I know it hurts everyone when we put up prices and I wish we didn’t have to.

“With reduced quantities of North Sea gas, we are now forced to buy energy on the volatile global wholesale market. World events have pushed up prices and we believe this trend will continue.

"In the UK we have also seen rising distribution and network charges, and further environmental costs but we have still managed to keep our increases lower than those announced by any other major supplier," referring to companies including British Gas, Eon and SSE.

Fuel Poverty Statistics Revealed

Statistics from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have been published, revealing that fuel poverty in the UK has risen by more than 20%.

In 2009, there were around 5.5 million fuel-poor households in the UK, up from 4.5 million in 2008. In England, there were around 4 million fuel-poor households, up from 3.3 million in 2008.

The increase in fuel poverty between 2008 and 2009 was largely due to rising prices. Gas prices rose by 14% and electricity prices by 5 % between 2008 and 2009.

DECC says rising incomes, improvements in the energy efficiency of housing and social and discounted tariffs continue to help some households from falling into fuel poverty.

Fuel poverty among vulnerable households, defined as the elderly, children or somebody who is disabled or long-term sick, for 2009 stood at 4.5 million UK households, up 0.75 million from 2008, and 3.2 million households (England), up 0.5 million from 2008.

DECC's projections for England indicate there are likely to be around 4 million fuel-poor households in 2010 and 4.1 million households in 2011. Although some price rises will impact on households in the latter half of 2011, it will be 2012 before the full impact of these are visible in the fuel poverty data.

A spokesperson for DECC said: "Actual fuel poverty figures for 2010 and 2011 will only be known when we have detailed results of the surveys on household income and efficiency programmes, and will be available for publication in 2011 and 2012 respectively."

Apex Oakland

Following the incredible success of the Apex Intense and Apex Devotion Apex have decided to bring out a new product. The Apex Oakland.

This stunning hang on the wall electric fire features the innovative and energy saving LED flame effect employed on the Intense and Devotion, combining with the flat black glass fascia to create a very contemporary and modern feel. Ideal for that minimalist feel.

Offering a 2Kw heat output, the Oakland is ideal to quickly take the cold edge off of almost any sized room. The unique LED flame effect can be dimmed to one of three settings, for that subtle feel or to truly give the impression of a roaring fire.

The white stone fuel effect adds a further contemporary feel and a thermostatic control means that the temperature can be set and maintained without even having to leave the comfort of your chair.

Brilliant E-Motion

Is the Fire On The Right Gas Or Electric?

Gas?

Electric?

Not Sure?

The Brilliant E-Motion looks like a full depth gas fire, but is in fact a very slim inset electric fire. It has been designed by the makers of the Newdawn, Brilliant and features the same silent LED flame effect that will cost you less than £1 per year to run based on using the flame effect EVERYDAY for 5 hours a day.

The flames emerge from within the fuel bed and appear to be burning in a ribbed fireback, the unique flame effect will make almost anyone question whether they are looking at an electric fire or an actual gas fire!

Available in a choice of black, brass or silver finishes and features the Media Fret in black, aluminium or brass finishes allowing the flexibility to suit almost room style. The slimeline depth means that this fire can be fitted against a flat wall in any surround with a 76mm standard rebate. This means even houses without any additional depth can have an ultra-realisic fire without having to use a spacer.

The E-Motion boasts a slimline canopy, making the fire look even more realistic without a bulky canopy sticking out of the front of the fire. Highline master controls and concealed heater controls feature a thermostat and 1 or 2kW heat output settings.

This ultra-realistic fire is now on display at the Fireplace Megastore

Esse Solo Traditional Electric Stove.

This stunning stove illustrated on the left is the Esse Solo Traditional Electric Stove. This portable electric stove would be perfect for a convervatory or any open living space that doesnt need or want to compromise wall or floor space with a convential fireplace.

This impressive electric stove features a powerful 2kW Convector heat that silently circulates around the room, a change from many other electric heaters that require a fan that can be quite noisy.

The solid cast iron ornamental body helps convect the heat out into the room while the coke fuel effect can be used independently of the heat setting to maintain that ambience, even when the heater is not on.

The Esse Solo Traditional electric stove is a high quality stove, in hand-crafted cast iron, available in either black or evergreen matt paint finishes or the unique polished finish shown.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year from all of us at Fires | Fireplaces | Stoves, hope the festive period was warm and full of joy.
We thought we'd start off the new year by giving a brief summary of a number of products that have caught our eye recently and are looking like must-haves for 2011.

The first fire our this list comes courtesy of The Fireplace Megastore, The Verine Carmelo HE balanced flue gas fire takes the already very popular Verine Carmelo and makes it available to households and properties that do not have a chimney. The balanced flue vastly increases the efficiency of the Carmelo HE over the normal Carmelo, taking the efficiency up from around 40-50% up to 75%, this also means the heat output has upped from minimal heat output decorative fire to one that has a high output of 6.5kW.
The contemporary frameless finish and plain black lining create a very simple yet effective finish, this can be combined either white stones for a very minimalist finish or with the realistic log fuel effect for a slightly more traditional feel, both of these fuel effects are supplied with the fire for extra flexibility. The stunning finish and quality feel of this fire coupled with the success of the open-fronted Carmelo mean this fire is likely to become hot property when it is released in February-March.

Our next product that has just been released is the Ceraglass back panel for the Drugasar Metro range of balanced flue gas fires. This reflexive black glass back panel adds a more contemporary finish to the fire, with the warm glow of the flames reflected back into the room for even more ambience. Drugasar haven't even released a photo of this new back panel yet but we're sure that it is going to make these high-quality and supremely luxurious fires even more desirable.




Another range to look out for this year is the Celsi range of inset electric fires, with people looking for a more realistic flame effect to the traditional ribbon flame effect and some alternate flame effects either lacking in realism or requiring a large amount of maintenance the Celsi range of inset electric fires with their unique 3D flame effect offering the choice of Smouldering or blazing logs or glowing coal as well as real sounds to further add to the illusion that this fire is real. Other features include adjustable flame speed and brightness for ambience as well as a sleep timer and adjustable temperature controls, all possible via a handheld remote control. Available in a range of styles both contemporary and traditional this ultra-realistic range of electric fires is sure to be very popular in 2011.

Burley Fires

Burley Appliances produce a large range of excellent fires, they take pride in the quality of their Flueless gas fires and stoves. These fires and stoves boast 100% efficiency and at the time of this blog have saved Burley Customers 151, 882, 103.4 KWH of gas due to the high efficiency rating of the fire over more traditional fires and stoves.

Burley Fires produce a large range of gas and electric fires in both contemporary and traditional styling. The gas fires all feature a catalytic converter system that means no Burley Fire requires a chimney or flue, merely a vent in the room and a minimum room size. While the electric fires feature a realistic virtual flame effect and some fires feature a remote control as standard.

Burley introducted the fixed, flueless gas fire to Great Britain in 1999. Although these types of fires are still a relatively new concept into the UK, there are over 60 million of this type of catalytic gas fire in the US, Japan and Austrailia combined. Burley flueless gas fires offer a level of efficiency, convienience and safety which simply cannot be matched by conventionally flued fires.

We have entered an time of spiralling gas prices, gas shortages, economic instability and global warming. It would be short-sighted and unsustainable to continue wasting energy at such a rate when Burley offer an alternative product which is superior to flued fires in a number of ways.

The Burley Ambience is a great example of the quality flueless gas fires that Burley produce, this traditionally styled gas stove features a realistic log fuel effect and provides an impressive 3.5kW heat output, which is more than enough to heat the minimum room space of 40m3, as this is a flueless gas stove it does require ventilation somewhere in the room of at least 100cm2.

The Burley Ambience is available in both natural gas and LPG with a cast iron effect finish with 100% efficiency and would make a perfect focal point in a large open fireplace to give a traditional and rustic finish.

The Burley Allexton 520-R Electric fire, which is available for The Fireplace Megastore, is the ideal contemporary solution to those wishing for a hang-on-the-wall, picture frame electric fire. The Allexton 520-R is an open fronted electric fire with a pebble, shell and white stone fuel effect and realistic virtual flame effect and, as the R suggests in the name of the fire the Burley Allexton 520-R comes as standard with a remote control.

The Allexton, unlike most other electric fires which use a noisy fan than blows hot air and dust around the room, sometimes causing havoc with allergy sufferers. The Allexton features an integral ioniser that releases negative ions that actually remove dust and odours from the air, making the air fresher in the living space while The 1 or 2kW heat output also provides the ideal level of heat for a generous sized living room.

Last, but not least the Burley Weston is a free-standing, cast iron effect electric stove with a very realistic virtual flame effect and log effect that would help make the Weston a special little addition to any living room for that rustic feel. The Weston can be upgraded with a Sensa-Switch, this unique feature on certain Burley Fires means the stove can be controlled by a simple touch of a finger on the ergonomic touch pad. This eliminates the need for playing with fiddely buttons or switches.

The Burley Weston features a 1 or 2Kw electric fan heater mounted under the stove that will help circulate the heat effectively around the room and quickly take the cold edge off a room.

Electric Fires

Electric fires are sometimes the only option for people who do not have a natural gas or LPG connection, but this isnt a reason for disappointment, technology in electric fires has been evolving, now you do not have to put up with a light-bulb under an orange perspex bowl if you do not want to.

The Fireplace Megastore offers a brilliant range of electric fires, either to replicate the look and feel of a traditional gas or solid fuel fire but also a range of contemporary fires such as the Bemodern Arizona.

The Bemodern Arizona is a Glass fronted hang on the wall electric fire which is available in 2 sizes either the adequately sized 36inch or in a stunning 42inch version at additional cost.
The Arizona features LED lights that are incredibly energy efficient and are able to produce a variety of colour effects in 3 stages. You can change the colour to suit your mood and create the perfect ambience with this wall mounted electric suite. The Arizona features a stunning and brand new innovative flame effect with colour changing LEDs that really grab attention. This contemporary fire also features a Thermostatically controlled Remote control as standard that allows you to change the Heat and Light settings from the comfort of your chair.

For ultimate realism Dimplex have produced the Opti-myst range of fires that use atomised water as a screen to project flame effects onto. Although impressive this fire requires a large amount of cleaning, topping up of water and care to ensure reliable operation, Opti-myst fires can only use filtered water to project the flame effect onto, this further adds to the running costs of the fire and reduces the value for money.

Electric fires aren't just confined to the inset or hang-on-the-wall, Fireplace Megastore also offer an impressive range of electric suites and stoves from well-known and high-quality manufacturers such as Burley, Gazco or Apex.

Gazco produce a high-quality range of stoves such as the Gazco Ashdon Electric Stove. The cast iron body, almost identical to the Gazco Ashdon gas stoves, and the ultra-realistic fuel effect combine to create a very realistic electric stove producing up to 2kW of heat with built in thermostatic control. The Gazco Ashdon is also available in a choice of three, high-quality, enamel finishes aswell such as Laurel Green, Ivory or Midnight Blue to help make this stove the feature of any living space.

Broseley Fires New Cast Iron Stoves

Broseley fires have expanded their range of cast iron stoves. Broseley Fires Limited are a well established company, renowned for high quality and safety. Broseley have learned to move with times and have the ability to partner modern technological advancements with the traditional skills required in the cast iron stove manufacturing process.

Broseley have all the tools necessary to research, develop and construct high quality stoves time and time again and never fail to deliver the best product possible time and time again.

Most recently Broseley Fires have released 3 stunning additions to their comprehensive range, 2 of which are balanced flue versions of already highly successful stoves, the Canterbury stove and the Lincoln stove.

Broseley fires have also introduced an electric version of the supremely desirable Serrano 3 cast iron stove.

The appearance of these stoves alters only slightly to the multi fuel and or conventional flue models, the main reason for expanding the already successful range of stoves is so that homes without a class 1 chimney or class 2 prefabricated flue can have access to such outstanding cast iron products.