THE BURNING QUESTION

Two years before the domestic fuel burning regulations were announced, Guy Mayer reversed up mum’s drive, up-ended his truck, and her first firewood delivery slid out with a biscuity clatter. Golden brown and still warm from the kiln, the logs burned brightly in her new stove.

The regulations, which took effect in May 2021, did not mean curtains for firewood producers such as Guy, whose logs already met the required 20% maximum moisture content. Instead, they tackle the particularly high level of air pollution associated with burning wet wood, which homeowners in England (regulations vary slightly between devolved nations) are no longer permitted to do.

Government data published in February revealed that domestic wood burning is the biggest source of small