Kindly hosted by Poujoulat in the wonderful surroundings of Brownsover Hall, over 30 members representing most of the leading stove brands, reviewed a packed agenda!

Guest speaker David Shearer from BRE, and an architect of SAP, the Government's Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings, opened the meeting. David highlighted the relative benefits/costs of certain types of secondary heating appliance. Through a series of "real world" worked examples, David was able to demonstrate potential savings of up to 9% in energy performance of a dwelling by installing a wood burning stove.  BRE recommend this as a good way to benefit the environment, whilst benefitting the new-build developers/builders (through allowing trade-offs in home construction techniques), whilst also benefitting you and I when it comes to selling our homes, providing a better EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating which we now need to publish within our HIP (Home Information Pack).

Further presentations throughout the day were made by prominent members including the SFA (Solid Fuel Association), a series of detailed reviews on Lot 15 and Document J from HETAS. Anthony Reed-Forester's after presentation highlighted the lack of prominence that wood stoves get in policy making, and a put forward a co-ordinated vision for SIA marketing, as well as a fast-track presence of the SIA at British Science Week (Sept) and SIA representation within a Radio 4 debate on renewables...

Throughout the day, and under the chairmanship of David Adams (Arada),many diverse yet important points were reviewed/ discussed and minuted. With continulally growing membership, the SIA together with HETAS. the SFA and Fireplace Marketing, is now starting to provide a truly strong and co-ordinated voice to Government, on behalf of the UK's stove manufacturers / importers.

The next meting will be in 3 months in Southampton in the care of Charnwood Stoves.