The answer is NO!
But any stove sold after January 2022 must be “Eco Design Ready”.
There’s been a lot of hype about woodburners being banned recently. It’s all about air quality (and rightly so). Here’s the truth behind it…
The Clean Air Strategy launched in 2018 by Michael Gove (the Environment Secretary) establishes how the government plans to tackle and improve air quality. This applies to Cornwall as well as all the big cities. Research has demonstrated burning wet logs on an open fire or an old wood burner is bad for air quality. It adds to air pollution and can lead to many health issues such as respiratory diseases.
Burning fuels such as plastics or treated waste woods also add to air pollution.
In a nutshell, you shouldn’t be burning treated wood or logs that have a moisture content above 20%.
So if your fence blows down, don’t burn it. Buy or use wood that has been seasoned correctly or is kiln dried. And if you’re not sure how much water content your log has, buy a moisture meter and test it. If you’ve got wood briquettes, make sure they are not “glued” together.
How you use your log burner or fire can also contribute to poor air quality. You shouldn’t let the fire smoulder or burn overnight!! Get the fire hot fast and always have a flame. Your wood burning stove will have a user manual that you should refer to.
A great way to help improve air quality is to upgrade your open fire or your old stove to an Eco Design Ready appliance. Then if you know how to fit a wood-burning stove, or better still employing Blazing Burners to fit a log burner is the next logical step. It will also save you money on the amount you spend on fuel as the new wood-burning stoves are proven to burn less wood for the same heat output.
In 2022, every stove and wood burner sold in the UK must conform to new clean-burning standards. They must be “Ecodesign Ready”. A group of manufacturers have already started producing stoves that meet these criteria. These manufacturers are known as the Stove Industry Alliance – SIA. If your wood-burner is Ecodesign Ready, you have a stove that if used correctly, is one of the cleanest and environmentally friendly woodburners available.
Help improve air quality and save your pocket at the same time and get your open fire or old wood burner updated – or at the very least, burn the right wood!!!!
Check out these links for more information
HETAS – Ecodesign ready stoves