Trending · Consumer
Gas-saving stove rings don’t save gas, and can poison you
“聚能环”省燃气没有科学依据
A cheap kitchen gadget sold online in China is now linked to fatal carbon-monoxide poisoning.
In short
“Energy rings” (聚能环) are metal rings sold online in China to fit around gas-stove burners, promising wind protection and lower gas bills. Tests by Beijing Gas engineers found they block air, make the flame burn yellow and push carbon monoxide above 100 ppm. In September 2026 a court in Yulin, Shaanxi, held the maker, seller and platform liable for a fatal poisoning.
What the tests show
The ring blocks the air drawn in around the burner. Combustion becomes incomplete, which lowers efficiency, so more gas is used, and produces carbon monoxide that can build up in a closed kitchen. One listing for the rings had sold more than 10,000.[1]
If you cook with gas in China
Beijing Gas advises against fitting anything to a stove that did not come with it. Keep a window open while cooking or using a gas water heater, and choose stoves with flame-failure protection, which cuts the gas if the flame goes out.[1]
Sources
- Guangming Online / Beijing Traffic Radio, Gas stove energy rings: tests and court ruling (15 October 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
- Baidu Hot Search, story summary (25 October 2026, in Chinese) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Picked from Baidu’s public hot-search list and checked against the reports above. Suggest a correction