I have recently bought a house with a wood stove, and I am keen to use it as the weather gets colder.
I have never used one before and don’t want to fall foul of the various rules I understand now regulate these stoves. I suspect mine is several decades old and may not meet modern standards.
I live on the outskirts of Tonbridge, in Kent, and have access to endless free wood from a local farmer, can I just burn this with no issues?
Sam Barker of This is Money replies: You are right that rules around woodburning stoves are confusing, and there are fines of up to £1,000 for using them in the wrong way.
All of these rules are meant to either improve air quality or prevent fires, so are not pointless red tape.
Fortunately for you, many of these rules do not apply in your circumstances. But it is worth laying out these rules to explain exactly why.
New solid fuel stoves fitted since 1 January 2022 need to meet government EcoDesign rules, which cap emissions.
Likewise, 2010 building regulations brought in fire safety rules around the hearths for newly-fitted solid fuel stoves, including how thick and wide these need to be.
But your stove predates either of these rules, so you are allowed to carry on using it.
Safety first: Log stoves should be swept at least annually by a professional chimney sweep
The only rules you need to stick to are the ones that apply to all solid fuel domestic stoves, regardless of when it was installed.
The first of these is smoke control zones, which are run by local councils. Tonbridge is not in one, but most urban areas are.
As the name suggests, these are meant to limit how much smoke is produced in an area.
When applied to the sort of stove we might have in our homes, this means someone in a smoke control zone can only burn smokeless fuel (a green alternative to coal).
If they have a Defra exempt stove, they can also burn fuel that meets the criteria of that stove – normally very dry wood.
Breaching these rules means incurring fines of up to £1,000 if caught, though councils will normally give you a warning first.
But you do still have to obey rules on what you can burn in your stove.
For starters, traditional coal is not allowed, and sales of this have been banned in England since May 2023.
Retailers are also not allowed to sell ‘wet’ wood with a moisture content of more than 20 per cent, as this emits more harmful smoke.
In theory, this means that even outside of a smoke control zone no-one should be able to buy fuel that is very polluting.
However, you are not buying your wood but instead sourcing it from a local farmer.
If these logs are not properly seasoned – i.e. with a moisture content or 20 per cent or below – then they should not be burned.
Not only will they not produce much heat, they will also produce much more smoke.
This smoke is bad for the environment and your neighbours, and can also cause build-up in your chimney that poses a serious fire risk.
Because you are not in a smoke control zone and you have a pre-2022 stove, your council cannot easily fine you for improper wood stove use.
However, if you do produce a lot of smoke from your stove then your neighbours could complain the the council environmental health team.
They could well warn you to burn authorised fuel or drier wood, but a fine is unlikely.
It is also possible for annoyed neighbours to sue you for causing a nuisance with a very smoky stove, but that is even more unlikely.
In short, burn seasoned or kiln-dried wood, or smokeless fuel if your stove is designed for it. That will keep you warm and on the right side of all the rules and regulations.
It is also a good idea to get a carbon monoxide and smoke detector, and to get your chimney swept and checked before you start burning anything.
Have an energy question? Get in touch: editor@thisismoney.co.uk