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Households across the UK with log burners could be hit with fines of up to £300 for making a common error this winter. As November arrives and temperatures drop heading into winter, people will be firing up their log burners to stay warm and cosy. However, a change in legislation means those living in smoke control areas need to be careful about how much smoke their burner produces, as exceeding the limit could lead to substantial penalties. The law stipulates that new stoves can only emit 3g of smoke per hour, reduced from the previous 5g limit. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE This figure was lowered following the Government's 2022 ban on house coal and wet wood sales in England, introduced as part of efforts to reduce emissions and promote cleaner fuels. This means homes located in smoke control areas, which cover the majority of England's towns and cities, risk fines of up to £300 under section 19A of the Clean Air Act 1993 if their log burners emit excessive smoke from their chimneys. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) defines a smoke control area as a legally designated zone where individuals and businesses are prohibited from emitting smoke from chimneys, or purchasing or selling unauthorised fuel for use within that area, unless it's burnt in an 'exempt' appliance, reports the Express . Defra states: "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 have also been urged to only use certified fire logs in their burners and to check the stove's glass regularly for small cracks or excessive damage. Using traditional house coal or wet wood in your home is a major contributor to PM2.5 pollution, which can get into the bloodstream and settle in the lungs and other organs. The World Health Organisation has identified this pollutant as the most serious air quality threat to human health. Anyone with a log burner or open fire must now, by law, purchase cleaner alternative fuels, such as dry wood and manufactured solid fuels, which produce less smoke. Dry wood also generates more heat and less soot than wet wood and can cut emissions by up to 50 percent. Households purchasing unauthorised fuel for use in an appliance not approved by Defra could face fines of up to £1,000. If your solid fuel isn't on the approved list, you cannot burn it in your log burner if you're in a smoke control area. Defra stated: "Wood can only be burned on exempted appliances and must be dry and ready to burn. Non-exempted appliance users can only burn approved solid fuels." In its guidance to households, Defra further added: "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." Sign up to our Manchester property newsletter here
