Households in England with a log burner face fines of up to £300 for making a common mistake after a law change. With temperatures turning colder and winter approaching, many will be lighting their log burners to stay warm, but stricter emissions rules now apply in smoke control areas.
Stricter Emission Limits
The law states that the amount of smoke new log burners can emit is just 3g per hour, down from 5g previously. The figure was lowered after the Government banned the sale of house coal and wet wood in England in 2022 as part of efforts to cut emissions and encourage the use of greener fuels.
Under section 19A of the Clean Air Act 1993, homes in smoke control areas - which cover most of England's towns and cities - face fines between £175 and £300 if their log burners release too much smoke from their chimney.
Unauthorised Fuel Fines
Households could also get a fine of up to £1,000 for using unauthorised fuel in an appliance that is not included on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) exempt list.
Defra defines a smoke control area as an area where people and businesses must not emit smoke from a chimney, or buy or sell unauthorised fuel for use in a smoke control area, unless you're using a Defra approved 'exempt' appliance. These include anthracite, semi-anthracite, gas and low volatile steam coal.
Unauthorised fuels, such as wood, can only be burned in exempt appliances like some boilers, cookers and stoves, and you must only use the types of fuel that the manufacturer states can be used in the appliance.
Official Guidance
The Government department explains: “A smoke control area is a legally defined area where you cannot emit smoke from a chimney. You can be issued a financial penalty of between £175 to £300 if you break this rule.
“You must not buy an unauthorised fuel for use in a smoke control area unless it is to be used in an exempt appliance. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you break this rule.
“To find out which areas of England are designated smoke control areas, please visit the smoke control area map. Please note, the data on this map is indicative only and you should always contact your local authority to confirm if you live in a smoke control area.”
Households are warned to only use certified fire logs in burners and to monitor the stove's glass to make sure there are no small cracks or excess damage.
Burning at home with traditional house coal or wet wood is a major source of the pollutant PM2.5, which can enter the bloodstream and lodge in lungs and other organs. This pollutant has been identified by the World Health Organisation as the most serious air pollutant for human health.
Any household with a log burner or open fire is now required by law to buy cleaner alternative fuels, such as dry wood and manufactured solid fuels, which produce less smoke. Burning dry wood also produces more heat and less soot than wet wood and can reduce emissions by up to 50%.
In its advice to households, Defra said: “Check if you are in a smoke control area. Think if you have to burn. Ensure you only use the correct appliance or fuel.
“Maintain stoves and sweep chimneys. Install a carbon monoxide monitor, this will alert you to dangerous fumes and reduce your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.”
