Wood-burning stove warning as Scots warned of £1k fines
Scots are being warned that they could face hefty fines for illegally using wood-burning stoves.
Around 10% of homes in the UK are now believed to be burning wood on open fires now as the method continues to become increasingly popular. Smoke pollution is linked to cancer and respiratory diseases and now people in smoke control areas can be fined up to £1,000 for using illegal fuel and up to £300 for smoking chimneys.
UK council have received more than 5,600 complaints so far but only four areas: Bolsover, Bristol, Horsham and Wakefield have imposed the penalties. It comes despite some families who use log burners saving as much as £2,000 on energy costs, reports the Mirror.
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Group Mums for Lungs sent a freedom of information request and it revealed so far there had been no prosecutions. The group said: "The Government needs to ensure councils protect children from toxic pollution, not just ask them to discuss the risks."
Meanwhile, UK families who possess log burners have been saving £2,000 thanks to the money-saving method. Mother-of-two Bryony Lewis installed her log burner just last autumn and is already boasting savings of a whopping £2,000 on her bills. The 40 year old from Fareham juggles her e-commerce business T and Belle with family life in their busy five-bedroom home alongside hubby Dan and kids, Theo, eight, and Izzy, six.
Bryony said: "The cost of living continues to go up and gas and electricity bills are making an increasingly big dent in our finances. We are very happy we made the decision to find a cheaper alternative to central heating." She splashed out £800 on her ACR Woodpecker WP5 Plus and £1,000 for installation.
Throughout the chilly season from October to March, her family only forked out roughly £100 on essentials like kiln-dried logs. She explained: "Doing this means the unit gives out a lot of heat." Bryony also highlighted the significance of maintaining the chimney: "We last did this in September and it cost us around £60."
Although she has an office at home, Bryony pointed out: "Even on the coldest days, we only put it on for a maximum of one hour in the morning and the same before bedtime. Our smart meter showed me that the oven was another energy-guzzling appliance. So, after researching the alternatives, I invested in an air fryer. This was back in 2022, and we have made really good use of it since then."
Bryony added: "As a family, we do a lot of things to try to be more efficient. We take care to always switch appliances off at the plug, as leaving devices on standby can cost a small fortune." However, a recent crackdown on log burning means rule-breakers could be hit with fines of up to £300.
Legislation enforced from 2022 defines which log burners are allowed to be sold and the materials permitted to be burned, in efforts to prevent homeowners facing steep penalties. Some of these rules were only implemented last year, and experts are warning many could unknowingly become lawbreakers.
If you're caught using a wood-burning stove incorrectly, such as burning unauthorised fuel, you could be fined. If you repeatedly break these rules, you could find yourself in criminal court. In a daring move to tackle urban air pollution, the government has clamped down on log burner usage, following concerns from campaigners that the surge in wood burners has boosted emissions of harmful particles.
Health problems such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are known to be exacerbated by air pollution, with home burners pinpointed as a major source of damaging emissions.
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