The recent cold snap has meant more stove owners are lighting up to keep warm, and with just over two weeks until Christmas, many are doing so to get into the festive spirit. There is something very special about burning wood as you sit, relaxing by the Christmas tree.
As nice as this may be, if you burn wood, it’s important to be aware of the regulations around using wood-burning stoves. You can be fined if you do not follow the correct legislation around burning solid fuels. Councils can issue on-the-spot fines ranging from £175 to £300. You can also be taken to court if you repeatedly break these rules.
The risks of burning incorrect fuel:
While manufacturers have invested significant R&D time and cost into making their stoves highly efficient, if you burn the incorrect fuel, you will be creating unnecessary pollution. You will also be adding congestion in your flue, which will increase the risks of chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. These regulations are designed to protect you and the environment. There is no excuse not to be aware of what you can and can’t burn on your stove. As a stove owner, it is your responsibility to make sure you stay inside the law.
Ecodesign:
Since January 2022, all new stoves sold must be Ecodesign compliant – all the stoves in the Charlton & Jenrick range have been Ecodesign compliant for a number of years before this date. If you purchased a stove before 2022, then the Ecodesign regulations do not apply to you. You still, however, need to make sure you burn the correct type of fuel. The diagram below shows just how efficient an Ecodesign stove is.
Most large towns and cities in the UK have smoke control areas. A smoke control area is an area where people or businesses must not:
1. Emit a substantial amount of smoke from a chimney
2. Buy or sell unauthorised fuel for use in a smoke control area unless it’s used in an exempt appliance (appliances which are approved for use in smoke control areas)
In these areas, you must either burn smokeless fuel, such as anthracite coal or use a DEFRA-exempt stove, such as those found in the Charlton & Jenrick range.
In England, since the summer of 2023, it is illegal to burn coal (anthracite is fine) or wet wood in your home. You can only burn kiln-dried logs, dried logs, including ones which you have seasoned yourself, or smokeless fuels.
The confusing conversation around the banning of wood-burning stoves:
The government are not considering banning wood-burning stoves. Despite some misinformation in some media sources stating otherwise. Wild claims such as stoves are 750 times more polluting than a HGV and similar is sadly based on inaccurate data, which, for the most part, is seriously flawed. These inaccurate claims create sensational headlines and sadly mislead consumers. The fact is wood-burning stoves are if used correctly, incredibly environmentally friendly.
Learn more about our wood-burning stoves here.
