BIODOM pellet stoves were 'very environmentally friendly' — the seller never proved it

Pellethoutkachels.nl sold BIODOM pellet stoves on three product pages, describing each as having 'very high efficiency', 'very low emissions', and therefore being 'very environmentally friendly' with a nice functional design. A subsidy page claimed the government had ended the pellet-stove subsidy in 2020 'because pellet stoves emit a small percentage of fine particulate matter'.

A complainant said pellet stoves in practice emit far more fine particulate matter than factory specifications state, plus more ultrafine particles that are more harmful to health, and that automatic combustion control makes them burn more often, largely negating their environmental advantage over wood stoves.

The advertiser said it was not aware of any wrongdoing, had simply copied the texts from its dealer's website, and would adjust them once a new website launched.

The RCC chairman treated the claims as sustainability claims under the Code for Sustainability Advertising (CDR). The advertiser did not rebut the complainant's arguments and provided no evidence substantiating the claims. All four utterances breached Article 4 CDR, and the chairman recommended the advertising stop.