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The article written by Mr Alec Maddock below, is the opinion of Alec Maddock solely. From over 26 years of experience in the fireplace and stove industry. Mr Alec Maddock has been previously trained and registered through the HETAS competent persons scheme -   ( About HETAS: Our Schemes, Accreditation & Training - HETAS ) – and as such believes from his years of experience, his knowledge in his field is justified. 

Are wood burning stoves safe ? 

The media is possibly the most misleading platforms out there, confusing statistics with real facts – 

One article published by Colin Fernandez – Environment Editor for the daily mail (online) – 06.12.2024) with the heading – “Urgent warning over trendy wood burning stoves – as experts warn they are now the UK’s biggest source of the most dangerous type of air pollution” stated that, Trendy wood burning stoves are the UK’s biggest source of the dangerous air pollution called PM2.5.

This article stated that, official reports by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS, 2024) reported in most parts of the UK, that air pollution (Particulate PM 2.5) had fallen below the UK's 2040 target. despite the overall downward trend, the use of wood burning stoves is rising, the report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. The IFS said in its report: 'The three largest sources of primary PM2.5 in the UK are domestic burning of wood and other fuels (29 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022), road transport (17.9 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022), and industrial processes and product use (16.5 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022) such as construction and steel manufacturing.

If you read the article above carefully, it stated that “ the domestic burning of wood and other fuels” (29 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022) put wood burning “and other fuels” as the largest source of PM2.5 pollution, above road transport and industrial processes such as construction and steel manufacturing. 

The Stove Industry Association (SIA) explains this perfectly, please read this by following the link before continuing with the rest of my article - Frequently Asked Questions - Stove Industry Association | SIA

The following again is only my experienced and professional opinion; 

Now the figures published by the mail-online above, were from 2022. The Eco-design Regulation for solid fuel space heating came into force on the 1st of January 2022, ALL stoves manufactured from that date must comply with the efficiency and emission levels set out within the Eco-design standards. So from 1st January 2022 stoves were far more efficient and less polluting than ever before. Now alongside this, burning only proper  “Ready to Burn” wood through the Woodsure fuel certification scheme (the Governments Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) appointed HETAS and Woodsure to run the ready to burn fuel certification scheme) further reduces any pollution given off from the combustion of wood burning. 

(you can read more on this from the official Woodsure platform - Ready to Burn | Administered by Woodsure on behalf of Defra) 

Maybe due to the fact that using a wood burning stove with the proper “Ready to Burn Wood”  only, is not as taxable as some may like if to be? 

Maybe this sustainable form of heating your living space, is out of the control of the major energy giants and is more in the control of the user.

Some off-grid or properties located in more remote areas of the UK, that can also be prone to power cuts etc.. could not heat there living spaces and have the security of a wood burning stove, some people cook on their wood burning stoves and even wood burning cookers….

Maybe eliminating a source of heating you rely on to heat your living spaces will force you to find other ways to heat your home that may be far more polluting than a todays Eco-design wood burning stoves, using “Ready to Burn” wood. 

Also, I know a lot of Farmers that rely on keeping there living spaces warm and also rely on wood to cook, now Farmers are having a really terrible / brutal time as we all may be aware, to hit them with another restriction if any such ban ever came into force (which is will not) would be maybe a final blow, I wonder how the UK would fair in a land without farming and agriculture!! 

With the cost of living crisis and economic mess we are in currently (and to add, I lost my small wood burning stove business this year due to our country’s economic state) – will it not force people into a position, where they take other means into there hands as way of reducing there heating bills, Wood burning stoves will not be banned and cannot be banned and should be promoted and supported by the governments and local authorities alike

Going back to the article from the mail-online above, in the section where, “ the domestic burning of wood and other fuels” as the largest source of PM2.5 pollution, above road transport and industrial processes such as construction and steel manufacturing. Now what are these “OTHER” fuels ?? it does not go into anything or suggests anywhere, what these “OTHER FUELS” may be? I wonder what percentage of these other fuels contribute towards there studies? 

Burning “Ready to Burn” wood on an eco-design stove from 2022-prescent day, will produce up to 90% less emissions than an open fire. Now with all my years in the wood burning stove industry, I know that there is a significant percentage of wood burning still being used on open fires, with a massive percentage of wood burning stoves that have been installed for years, that do not meet the Eco-design standards, adding that many users likely do not use proper fuels such as the “Ready to Burn” wood fuels, also there are many stoves that are not only older types of appliances, but that have not been installed by proper certified professional installers using poor quality fuels, some of which people may have chosen to do so because of living costs etc.. or even in some cases due to bad publicity of the wood burning stove sectors. 

Also, many thousands and thousands rely on the wood burning stove industry and associated sectors (Hundreds of thousands) – what happens to the UK economy both from manufacturing impacts, job losses etc.. if any such ban was to come into force, how would they police this ban if our streets in some areas cannot even be policed? 

DEFRA have been working alongside manufacturers and fuel suppliers for decades, and with this partnership, pollution and air quality can only improve year on year. 

For now I will leave my article there, if you would like to contact me regarding my article, please drop me a line – alec@alecmadock.com 

Take care, keep warm, stay safe and keep smiling. 

Warmest Regards, 

Alec Maddock