Britons warned they could get £300 fine if they use a log burner | Personal Finance | Finance

Britons have been urged to take care when lighting their log burners this winter or they could be hit with a £300 fine.

The amount of smoke new stoves can emit each hour has dropped to 3g, down from the previous limit of 5g.

This applies solely to newly made stoves while existing wood-burning stoves can be used even if they don’t meet the latest standards.

However, if a person lives in a smoke control area, this may not be the case as they may have other criteria to meet.

Experts at MeandMyGlass.co.uk are urging Britons to use certified fire logs and to monitor the stove’s glass to ensure there are no small cracks or excess damage.

John Cutts, from the group, said: “Not only do people have to be aware of the type of log burner they’re using, but also the material being burned on it. Using the wrong log burner and materials will result in a hefty penalty.

“The regulations encourage owners to switch to more eco-friendly alternatives, so we strongly advise all log burner owners to be cautious of the materials they’re using on the stove.

“That’s why it’s important to make sure that the materials being used adhere to the guidelines and that any stoves with glass doors are still fit to function without any cracks that could lead to fumes escaping from the burner.”

In England, a person may have to pay a penalty of up to £300 if their local council deems that their chimney emits too much smoke.

An individual can also be fined up to £1,000 if they burn unauthorised fuel without an exempt appliance.

Last year, the Government banned the sale of house coal and wet wood in England to encourage consumers to use greener alternatives.

Government regulations state: “Burning at home, particularly with traditional house coal or wet wood, is a major source of the pollutant PM2.5 – which has been identified by the World Health Organisation as the most serious air pollutant for human health.

“People with log burners and open fires can still use them, but will be required to buy cleaner alternative fuels – if they are not already – such as dry wood and manufactured solid fuels which produce less smoke.

“Both of these cleaner options are just as easy to source and more efficient to burn, making them more cost-effective.

“Burning dry wood also produces more heat and less soot than wet wood and can reduce emissions by up to 50 percent.”

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