Do you know if you are keeping on the right side of the law when burning wood? Whether that be burning wood on an inefficient open fire, or a highly efficient Ecodesign Ready wood burning stove, there are regulations that you need to be aware of.
The Clean Air Strategy:
In January 2019 The Clean Air Strategy was announced, which outlined a number of key developments that will have an impact on burning wood in the UK. These include:
- Only the cleanest stoves will be available from 2020
- Heavily polluting log burners and open fire fuels will be banned
- Wet wood sales for domestic burning will be restricted
- Sales of traditional house coal may be phased out
- Further research into non-methane volatile organic compounds may result in restricted sales of certain household items.
While it’s good news if you are an owner of an Ecodesign ready stove, there are still things you need to be aware of, which could put you at risk of flouting the law if you’re unaware. Namely making bad decisions around the type of fuel you burn.
How can you reduce your risk of breaking the law in the future:
If you currently use an open fire, it could be time to consider moving to an Ecodesign Ready stove, especially so if you’re in an area, which could be subject to banning the use of open fires (if it’s not done so already). With regards to the actual burning of wood, we would recommend taking the time to be aware of the type of wood you burn. These articles will help you:
Is burning wood still a viable option me?
Completely so, yes. As reported time and again in the media, it’s not burning wood that is the issue, it’s the burning wood on the wrong appliances and/or burning the incorrect type of fuel, or incorrectly prepared fuel (i.e wet wood), which needs special attention.
