Could woodburners eventually be banned?

The hot debate over woodburning stoves has escalated following the publication of a slew of recent research papers, which have added fuel to the fire as to whether woodburners are acceptable in the UK’s net zero push.

Homeowners exploring new fireplaces may choose woodburners for the crackling heart-warming allure of a log fire, and also to prevent heat escaping up the chimney in older homes. Meanwhile a small number of older homes in the UK rely on woodburners as a heat source.

But woodburners’ contribution to air pollution is a prominent criticism. Research from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in February revealed that domestic woodburning (from closed stoves and open fires) was responsible for 17% of particulate air pollution in 2021. Previous DEFRA data had suggested that this figure was actually 38%.