New wood-burning stoves will have stricter limits on smoke emissions and carry health warning labels under latest government plans.
Ministers have also proposed cutting the limit on smoke emitted from wood burners by 80 per cent in a bid to reduce the air pollution they produce. This would enforce a reduction from five grams per hour under the current rules to one gram per hour.
The measures are part of a UK-wide consultation launched on Thursday which aims to cut harmful emissions and support cleaner technologies.
They would require stoves and wood sold for burning to carry labels explaining the pollution they produce and the impact on people’s health.
Only new appliances would be subject to the new rules, although industry estimates suggest that 70 per cent of stoves tested since 2018 already meet the one gram limit.
Another proposal would see the fine for fuel suppliers selling damp wood – which emits more smoke than dry wood – increase from £300 to £2,000.
Domestic wood burning is one of the UK’s largest sources of air pollution, contribution a fifth of fine particles – almost equal to road transport.
Wood-burning appliances used in homes are linked to 2,500 early deaths a year in the UK, a recent study found, as well as 3,700 cases of diabetes and 1,500 cases of asthma.
Air quality minister Emma Hardy said: “Dirty air robs people of their health and costs our NHS millions each year to treat lung conditions and asthma.
“We are determined to clean up our air.
“By limiting emission levels and introducing new labels as outlined in our consultation, families will be able to make better, healthier choices when heating their homes.”
The consultation suggests warning labels for stoves would carry messages such as: “Please be aware that this appliance emits air pollution into and around your home which can harm your health”.
For wood sold to be burned, it says labels could read: “Burning in the home leads to air pollution which has a negative impact on the health of you and your family”.
According to the documents, the new limit would cut annual toxic emissions from wood burning by 10 per cent over the next decade. Campaigners have welcomed the changes, but say “further action” must be taken.
Jonathan Blades, head of policy at Asthma + Lung UK, welcomed the consultation’s acknowledgement of the harm caused by domestic burning but said the proposals “fall well short of what is needed to protect the public from dangerously high levels of emissions”.
“If this government is serious about protecting public health, reducing the amount of PM2.5 we breathe must be a priority, and the government should be consulting on bold, ambitious and supportive policy measures to bring down levels from domestic burning,” he said.
Larissa Lockwood, director of policy and campaigns at Global Action Plan, said: “While measures to tighten pollution standards for wood burning stoves and better inform people of the health risks of these products at the point of sale are a good first step, they don’t go far enough.
“A less-polluting stove is like a low-tar cigarette – it’s slightly better for your health, but still significantly worse than not using them in the first place.
“We want to see further action from the government to ensure everyone can access cleaner, greener forms of heating and give local authorities the powers they need to curb harmful emissions for the benefit of their local communities.”
MPs slam ‘abject failure’ over insulation scheme as victims up to £230k out of pocket
The popular A-level subject that the UK is struggling with
Discount retailer fails to lure in customers with price cuts
Trump’s Nato troop claim slammed by mother of injured British veteran
European cold snap increases the chances of spotting rare birds in the UK
Four of Britain’s most expensive beach huts sell despite council tax decision
