Are YOU at risk of a £1,000 fine for using a wood burner? Interactive map reveals England’s smoke control zones
- Government told councils to look at imposing fines for using wood burners
- Some councils are imposing fines of up to £1,000 to people using a wood burner
- MailOnline’s interactive map will show you just how much you might be fined
Many Brits facing a cost of living crisis and spiraling economic woes had been pleasantly surprised to learn about wood burners saving people a fortune in heating bills.
However, many hopes have been dashed after councils across the country try to ban the nifty wood burners to protect the environment.
The Government is looking to crack down on misuse of the stoves and has told council chiefs to look at imposing on-the-spot civil penalties, which could be as much as £300.
Some councils are imposing even larger fines of up to £1,000 to people using a wood burner.
The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs’ interactive map will show you just how much you might have to pay in penalty charges if you dare to use a wood burner in your own home.
HOW TO USE THE INTERACTIVE MAP:
Enter the name of your town or village into the search bar on the top left of the map. Otherwise you can scroll around the map and zoom in on your local area. Regions coloured blue have restrictions on the use of wood burning stoves
Britons have said wood burners save them a fortune and are now worried for those who are already struggling in the cost of living crisis amid rules set out by Sadiq Khan effectively banning them
Bristol is one of the UK’s cities that fines people £1,000 for improperly using a wood burner.
The council warned homeowners to buy wood burners approved by the Department for Environment and use mandated fuel if they want to avoid a hefty fine.
While the vast majority of homes in the country rely on normal gas central heating, log fires are bad polluters.
Some councils have already brought in anti-wood burner measures, while others are said to be exploring whether to expand smoke control areas to outlaw the fires.
Bedford and West Northamptonshire councils are reportedly exploring their options, while in the latest guidelines set out by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, an air-quality limit means large home and office developments can no longer use wood or solid fuels.
That means wood burners have effectively been banned in new and refurbished buildings in the capital.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during a speech at Mansion House in central London in January. He has stopped the use of new wood burners in the capital
READ MORE: Can lighting a fire really be cheaper than heating?
Evidence suggests that households worried about soaring energy bills are turning back to wood-burning stoves to save money, but can lighting a fire really be cheaper than switching on the heating?
We take a look at how much a wood burner costs to buy and install, and how much money it could save on bills – as well as asking whether it will do a good a job of keeping you warm.
> Read more: Log burners: Are they cheaper than central heating?
The Telegraph reports that Bedford and West Northamptonshire are already in a smoke control area.
It means residents can burn only ‘smokeless fuels’, or use a wood-burning stove that meets government specifications.
People may not be able to install these log burners in new buildings and so will have to try to manage soaring energy prices.
Some people who live in rural areas have no other choice than to potentially cough up hundreds of pounds extra every year as they don’t have access to a gas pipe and so rely on log burners.
One Twitter user wrote: ‘We live very rural with no gas line.
‘Our log burner keeps us warm during the deepest darkest winters as we have no central heating.’
Those who are not moving into a new building and currently own a log burner are at risk of being slapped with a £300 fine and could be paying hundreds more a year in maintenance under the new regulations set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023.
People in designated ‘Smoke Control Areas’ – most towns and cities –could be slapped with the fine if their log burners emit more than 3 grams of smoke per hour.
This could lead to people paying hundreds of pounds extra a year as they can effectively no longer use regular wood and must use ‘seasoned’ (dry) wood, which is 12 per cent more expensive.
Under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs guidance for wood-burning stoves they advise servicing your stove annually and getting your chimney swept up to twice a year.
This could cost homes hundreds of pounds extra every year.
Bedford and West Northamptonshire councils did not respond to a request for comment from MailOnline.
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