UK households using wood burners and log burners now face fines of up to £300 if they breach updated DEFRA regulations introduced to reduce air pollution. While wood burners are not banned, their use in designated smoke control areas is tightly controlled to protect air quality.
Under the revised rules, anyone using appliances in smoke control areas must only burn approved fuels or use DEFRA-approved appliances, or risk fines between £175 and £300. Only fuels from the approved list—or certain smokeless fuels such as anthracite, semi-anthracite gas, low volatile steam coal—are permitted unless burned in a DEFRA-compliant appliance.
Birmingham, classified as a smoke control area since the Clean Air Act of 1985, has recently updated its regulations following amendments in the Environment Act 2021. The new Smoke Control Order 2025, effective from 23 March 2026, replaces previous orders and introduces stricter controls, extending regulations to include moored vessels such as canal boats. Residents and boaters must now use only authorised fuels or burn wood exclusively in approved exempt appliances. Notably, burning coal is prohibited in Birmingham.
READ MORE: New Contactless Payment Rules Allow Higher Limits at Major UK Supermarkets
READ MORE: Birmingham’s Opheem Named Among UK’s Best Restaurants, Honors Stratford Road Curry Legacy
To ensure compliance, the Air Quality Domestic Solid Fuels Standards mandate that firewood sold in quantities less than 2 cubic metres must carry certification from the Ready to Burn Scheme, with clear labeling at the point of sale. For larger quantities exceeding 2 cubic metres, sellers must provide guidance on properly drying, storing, and checking the moisture content of the wood.
Additionally, all manufactured solid fuels require certification under the Ready to Burn Scheme with visible labeling. However, certain fuels such as coffee logs, olive logs, wine logs, and those primarily made from wheat husks, straw, miscanthus, bamboo, or compressed food waste are exempt from this certification.
These measures reaffirm the commitment to improving air quality while allowing responsible, regulated use of wood burners across the UK.