There’s been a lot of discussion in the news lately about wood burning stoves and the rules regarding them. From on-the-spot fines to outright illegality, there are lots of claims being circulated – some of which are wholly inaccurate. As a proud supplier and installer of wood-burning stoves, Continental Fireplaces would like to clarify a few points that customers have asked us about.
Are wood burners going to be banned?
No, there are currently no plans to make domestic wood burning illegal.
The UK government confirmed in its Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 that is not considering a ban on domestic burning in England.
Will I be fined £300 for burning wood?
A number of customers have expressed worry over receiving a £300 on-the-spot fine for burning wood. While a £300 on-the-spot fine does exist, you won’t receive one if you’re using your wood burning stove in line with the proper guidance.
The £300 fine applies to those in Smoke Control Areas – areas designated by local councils, which limit how much smoke you can release through your chimney. You must also burn authorised fuels on your stove, unless you have an ‘exempt’ appliance. Burning unauthorised fuel without an exempt appliance could incur a fine of up to £1000.
Not sure if you live in a smoke control area? Contact your local council to find out.
For more information on smoke control areas, click here to read the full government guidance.
What wood can I burn?
On 1st May 2021, ‘Ready to Burn’ legislation came into force in England. This law bans the sale of the most polluting domestically-used fuels – wet wood and house coal. Wood sold in quantities up to 2m³ needs to be ‘Ready to Burn’ certified, with an internal moisture content below 20%. For larger quantities, proper guidance must be given on how to store, season and check the dryness of your wood.
Look for the ‘Ready to Burn’ logo when buying firewood. This ensures your logs have an internal moisture content of 20% or lower. Do not use chemically-treated wood on your stove.
For more information on ‘Ready to Burn’, click here to view HETAS’ guidance.
What is EcoDesign 2022?
Introduced on 1st January 2022, EcoDesign Regulations set minimum efficiency and maximum emission requirements for solid fuel burning stoves. The emissions considered include Particulate Matter (PM), Organic Gaseous Compounds (OGC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx).
By reducing emissions and improving efficiencies, the intention of EcoDesign is to greatly reduce the environmental impact of wood burning. All wood burning stoves produced after 2022 must meet EcoDesign requirements, ensuring new stoves are clean burning and efficient.
For more information on EcoDesign 2022, click here to view HETAS’ guidance.
Are the wood burning rules changing?
In its Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, the UK government announced that smoke emission limits for smoke control areas will be cut from 5g to a maximum of 3g per hour. This decision has been welcomed by the Stove Industry Alliance.
As a result of the stove industry’s commitment to continuous improvement, a large number of appliances in production already meet this new target for 2023. Many stoves with ‘ClearSkies Level 4’ or ‘ClearSkies Level 5’ certification will already comply with the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023.
Click here to view the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023
Click here for more information on ClearSkies Certification
What is ClearSkies Certification?
ClearSkies is an objective and independent certification, awarded to solid fuel stoves and fireplaces with sufficiently low emissions and high energy performance. A ClearSkies certification will feature a number from 2 to 5, expressing how efficient and environmentally-friendly the appliance is. These numbers represent the different levels of ClearSkies certification, which are as follows:
ClearSkies Level 2 – The stove is EcoDesign compliant, but not listed as DEFRA Exempt.
ClearSkies Level 3 – The stove is EcoDesign compliant and DEFRA Exempt.
ClearSkies Level 4 – This stove exceeds EcoDesign requirements by 15% and is DEFRA Exempt.
ClearSkies Level 5 – This stove offers a further 15% improvement in emissions and efficiency over ClearSkies Level 4, and is DEFRA Exempt.
While these certifications may seem confusing at first, they provide a useful shorthand. The ClearSkies Level number tells you important information about your appliance at a glance, including how efficient it is and whether it’s suitable for use in Smoke Control Areas.
Not only this, but a ClearSkies mark identifies products that exceed EcoDesign 2022 requirements, rather than just meeting the criteria.
With so much discussion going on around wood burners, it can be hard to keep track of the rules for burning. We hope this brief guide is able to help with some of the confusion customers are facing, whether you’re a new buyer or a seasoned burner.
Are there any wood burning rules you’d like more information about? Feel free to reach out to Continental Fireplaces.
Click here to view our contact details.