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Indoor fires and wood burning

For some people, wood burning is the only heating option in their home. If you need to use a wood burner, consider the below:

  • Service your stove and sweep your chimney or stove pipe at least once a year
  • Make sure your open fire or stove is installed by a registered or certified installer
  • Ensure the ventilation of your wood burning stove is clean with no blockages to prevent carbon monoxide build up
  • Use a stove thermometer to understand how your wood stove is performing
  • Do not burn wet or treated, painted or glued wood
  • Use fuels from DEFRA’s certified list of manufactures of solid fuels or dry, untreated wood

The dirtiest fuel to use in a wood burner is coal, the cleanest is dry untreated wood with a moisture content of 20% or less. When burnt, wet wood creates smoke and harmful particulates. As well as damaging your stove and chimney, it is an inefficient way to heat your home. Appropriate fuel will also help reduce maintenance and fuel costs.

For energy saving advice including grants, subsidies and local free advice, visit our saving energy at home webpage.

Your supplier

Firewood sold in volumes under 2m3 needs to be certified as Ready to Burn with a moisture content of 20% or less. Check a supplier’s reference code here and let Gloucestershire Trading Standards know if you have any concerns.

Report a smoke nuisance

If a log burner is deemed to be causing a nuisance to another property, action can be taken under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to require steps to be taken to remediate it.

It is advised to talk to the occupier of the property creating the smoke to let them know it is causing you a problem. If this does not work, or you do not feel you can approach them, please contact your local council Environmental Health team who may be able to investigate.

The following information should accompany any complaint:

  • Your name, address and contact details. Anonymous complaints often cannot be actioned;
  • The address where the smoke is coming from;
  • When and for how long the smoke occurs (it will help if you have kept a written record of the times and dates when the problem has occurred); and
  • Anything you have done to try to deal with the problem (for example, speaking to the person making the smoke)

Your name and address will not be disclosed when dealing with your complaint.

If the local authority is unable to substantiate a statutory nuisance, you can take your own action against the person/organisation responsible under Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Smoke control areas

Do you live in a Smoke control area? Some parts of Gloucester and Cheltenham have smoke control areas. This means it is illegal to burn smokey fuels such as wood and coal in an open fireplace or in a non-approved wood burning or multi-fuel stove. It is an offence to use an unauthorised fuel in a non-exempt appliance, or to purchase an unauthorised fuel for this purpose.

You can be fined up to £1,000 for non-compliance.