Wood burning stoves: fines and regulations

Wood burning stoves are becoming increasingly popular, which has led to growing concern about their health and environmental impacts. 

There is no clear consensus about the impact of pollutants released by wood burning stoves. You can read more on this topic in our guide to the health and environmental impact of wood burning stoves. 

Despite the ongoing debate, this concern has led to increasingly strict wood burning stove regulations, as well as increasing fines for their improper usage. 

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Wood burning stove fines

You can only be fined for using a wood burning stove if you do not follow the proper legislation – for example, if you burn the incorrect fuel.

Councils can issue on-the-spot civil penalties for these offences, starting from £175. However, you could be charged up to £1,000 if you burn the wrong fuel in a non-regulation appliance. 

If you repeatedly break this legislation, you could be taken to the criminal courts.

As such, it is important to understand the current legislation and ensure that you are using your wood burner correctly. This guide will explain the regulations that you are required to follow.

Ecodesign stoves

All stoves placed on the market after January 2022 must be Ecodesign compliant. If you bought your stove before this time, or your stove was placed on the market before January 2022, this legislation does not apply to you.

Ecodesign requirements set criteria around a stove’s emissions and efficiency.

In order to be compliant, the stove must not emit more than a specified amount of pollutants. These pollutants include particulate matter (PM), organic gaseous compounds (OGC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The stove must also reach a certain level of efficiency. A more efficient stove can product more heat using less fuel.

You can check whether your stove is ecodesign compliant by checking your brochure or contacting your retailer.  

Fuel types

In England, as of the summer of 2023, it is illegal to burn coal (excluding smokeless coal like anthracite) or wet wood in your home. This applies to the whole country. 

Wet wood produces more smoke and causes tar to build up in your chimney, which can cause fires. 

Scotland and Wales, which have devolved powers on environmental matters, are still considering this ban. At the time of writing, you are allowed to burn coal and wet wood in these areas (provided you don't live in a smoke control area, see below). 

Smoke control areas 

The UK Government has also designated some parts of the UK as 'smoke control areas'. In these areas there are even stricter limits on the amount of smoke that individuals are allowed to release.

Because of this, in smoke control areas, you are not allowed to burn wood in normal stoves (including Ecodesign stoves). You must either:

• Use a DEFRA-exempt stove
• Burn smokeless fuel, such as anthracite coal

DEFRA stands for Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. DEFRA-exempt stoves are built to stop wood from smoldering, which reduces the amount of smoke released by the stove. You are only allowed to burn wood in a smoke control area if you have a DEFRA-exempt stove.

If you don't have a DEFRA-exempt stove, you must burn a smokeless fuel. 

Smoke control areas are in place across most towns and cities in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, so check with your local authority to see if there are any restrictions in place.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Island, you can't burn coal or wet wood in smoke control areas (you can't burn these fuels anywhere in England). 

To find out more about the health and environmental impact of stoves, see our guide to wood burning stove pollution

Other certification initiatives

If you have been browsing different stove brands, you may have seen them advertise certifications from different initiatives.

You do not need to purchase a stove with any of the following certifications. However, if you want to ensure that you are making the most sustainable or the healthiest choice, they are helpful to consider:

• HETAS Cleaner Choice Approval Scheme: As well as being DEFRA-exempt and listed on the DEFRA-website, these stoves emit at least 50% less particulates than required for DEFRA-exemption.
• Clearskies: There are 5 levels to the Clearskies certification scheme. Level 3 stoves are DEFRA-exempt and ecodesign compliant. Level 4 stoves release 15% less pollutants than required to be ecodesign compliant, and level 5 stoves release 15% less than level 4.
• Nordic Ecolabel or Nordic Swan: Stove brands from Nordic countries may also show this certification, which sets out rigorous emission and efficiency targets for both stove production and usage.

Are wood burners going to be banned?

According to its Environmental Improvement Plan, released in January 2023, the UK government is not considering a ban on domestic burning for England and there are also no plans to ban burning in the devolved nations.  This is because some people are reliant on wood burners for heat, hot water and cooking.

However, the government continues to tighten restrictions on stoves. For example, stoves in smoke control areas will now only be allowed to emit 3 grams of smoke per hour, down from 5 grams.

In some cases, restrictions are so strict that wood burning stoves are banned in effect. For example, due to tighter planning guidance, it is impossible to install wood burners in new homes in London.

Sadiq Khan no longer endorses burning solid fuel, even in DEFRA-exempt stoves.

Campaign group Mums for Lungs is calling on the government to take much stricter measures against stoves, including:

• Banning the sale and use of wood burners (unless they are the only source of heat in the home)
• Labelling wood burning stoves as harmful
• Providing effective powers to local authorities to stop unlawful burning, including requiring that all wood burners are registered with local authorities
• Launching a public health campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of wood burning stoves

New legislation was introduced in Scotland that banned the installation of stoves as the primary source of heat in new build homes, but at the time of writing this has been paused and is under review. 

Alternatives to wood burners include gas stoves, electric stoves, or underfloor heating