A change in log burner regulations in England might result in £300 penalties for violators.
Households in the United Kingdom face fines of up to £300 and potentially criminal charges if they violate new log burner regulations.
Emissions standards been tightened, reducing the quantity of smoke new stoves may produce each hour from 5g to 3g.
It is applicable to residences in “smoke control zones,” which include the majority of England’s towns and cities. Anyone who violates the new rules may face a UK wood burner fine.
The new regulations are part of the government’s new 25-year environmental strategy.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new rules were part of his government’s commitment to leave “the environment in a better position than we found it”.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has clamped down on wood burners and coal stoves in recent years, claiming that they are the main source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – microscopic particles of air pollution that enter the body’s lungs and blood.
In the UK, around 1.5 million houses use wood for fuel; however, burning wood and coal in open fireplaces and stoves accounted for 25% of PM2.5 emissions.
In contrast, 27% are employed in manufacturing and construction.
In addition to limiting the amount of PM2.5 that wood burners may release, Defra said that it would allow local authorities to “better enforce” smoke control zones.
They will be able to levy penalties of up to £300 on households whose chimneys generate too much smoke, and even prosecute them if they do not comply.
The government said in the 25-year plan that it was tightening the laws rather than enacting a full ban on burning fuels since some homes use them for warmth and cooking.
However, barbeques, fire pits, and bonfires are exempt from the prohibition since they are “disproportionate,” according to the administration.
‘What effects does air pollution have on our bodies?’
Everyone is gathered in one room, just as in the old days.
In a drive to try to minimise particulate matter, last year the government prohibited the purchase of house coal and wet wood in England, two of the most polluting fuels, and pushed the people to convert to “cleaner alternatives”.
Households may be fined up to £1,000 if they are discovered to be using unapproved fuels, as is now the case. The government’s website has a list of permitted fuels in each of the UK’s four countries.
Client Earth, an NGO that has won pollution lawsuits against the government, slammed the 25-year plan on Twitter, saying it was full of “vague pledges” and that existing environmental rules are under threat due to Brexit.
