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 volume and 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 government regulations on wood burning stoves, as well as increasing fines for their improper usage. 

Can I be fined for owning or using a wood burning stove?

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, ranging from £175 to £300. 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.

Stove regulations: 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.  

Stove regulations: DEFRA-exempt stoves

The UK Government has designated some parts of the UK as 'smoke control areas'. In these areas there are 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. You must either:

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

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.

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

If you do not live in a smoke control area, this legislation does not apply to you.

Stove regulations: 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.

You can burn only burn kiln dried logs, dried logs, or smokeless fuels. 

As above, if you live in a smoke control area, you can only burn logs if you have a DEFRA-exempt stove. 

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.

Scotland and Wales, which have devolved powers on environmental matters, are still considering this ban, and there are no current plans in place to ban these fuels in Northern Ireland. At the time of writing, you are allowed to burn coal and wet wood (as long as you don't live in a smoke control area). 

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.

New legislation in Scotland also effectively bans the installation of wood stoves as the primary heating source for new builds, extensions and major renovations. 

Wood stoves can still be installed as 'emergency heating' - to cover for instances like power cuts - but this requires a building warranty and permission from local authorities. If your property already has a stove or fireplace with a chimney then a new stove can still be installed and there are no plans to ban burning other than through local smoke control areas.

You should also note that certain campaign groups and politicians have either rescinded their support for wood burners, or are calling for them to be banned.

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

If you want to read about what Which? readers think about their wood burning stoves, check out our guide to the best wood burning stove brands.

You can also see our guide to wood burning stove installation to learn more about the process of purchasing and installing a stove.