Are you allowed to burn wood in London?

Under certain conditions you are allowed to burn wood in London, but there have been restrictions on burning solid fuels in London for over 70 years now.

The current rules around burning wood and other solid fuels in London are provided by the Clean Air Act 1993.

Almost all parts of London are in ‘smoke control areas’ as designated by local authorities according to the Clean Air Act. You can find out here if you live in a smoke control area.

If you are in a smoke control area you may only burn wood in a building if you use an appliance that has been exempted by Defra; the full list of exempt appliances are listed here. If you are using one of these exempt appliances, you may only use the fuel specified for use in your appliance. Additionally, even if you are using an exempt appliance, you must not emit smoke from the chimney.

Burning wood always produces particulate matter pollution, even if no visible smoke is present. The sole reason for having a chimney is to take smoke, gases and other harmful products of combustion out of your home and release them outside. This pollution then spreads through your neighbourhood, travelling on the breeze, or settling on a still night.

Pictures of wood burning in stoves and fireplaces

Air pollution in London exceeds the World Health Organization’s guideline levels and the equivalent of 3,600 – 4,100 deaths in London may be attributed to human made air pollution per year. Burning wood emits dangerous pollution known as fine particulate matter (often referred to as PM2.5), which is a known carcinogen and can increase the risk of asthma, heart disease and other serious illnesses affecting our lungs, hearts and brains. Exposure to particulate air pollution can also trigger the symptoms of existing health conditions. Please read more about particulate air pollution here.

Current evidence suggests there is no safe level of PM2.5 particulate matter air pollution and domestic wood burning contributes 17% of London’s PM2.5 air pollution.

So, as burning wood always causes pollution, and it is usually more expensive than other forms of heating, the question may not be “are you allowed to burn wood in London”, but “why would you want to burn wood in London”?

Member London Boroughs