Solid fuels you can and cannot burn

Burning cleaner fuels will help to clean up the air and will play a big part in improving our health.

Types of fuel that have been phased out

Sales of the most polluting fuels; wet wood and house coal have been phased out in England between 2021 to 2023.

Why the law has changed

Domestic burning on our wood burning stoves and coal fires is a significant source of the more harmful pollutants affecting human health from the air we breathe. Tiny particles in the smoke can enter our body including lungs and blood which can lead to breathing problems, asthma attacks and the possibility of more long-term health problems. This new law will move householders away from using the most polluting fuels towards cleaner and safer alternatives such as dry wood and manufactured solid fuels.

See Household air pollution and health on the World Health Organization website for more information.

What to look out for when buying fire products to burn at home

Wood sales

• Sales of wet wood in volumes under 2m³ for burning in domestic properties (such as from garden centres, DIY stores, petrol fore-courts) are now banned.
• When you buy wood, always look out for the 'Ready to Burn' logo. Seeing this logo will give you assurance that you are buying legal fuel.
• In larger volumes, wet wood must be sold with a warning that the wood is not suitable to be burnt without drying and provided with instructions for how to season the wood.

Domestic coal sales

• All sales of prepacked traditional house coal are now banned.
• Members of the Approved Coal Merchants Scheme were able to deliver loose house coal in bulk bags to customers premises until April 2023.
• The rules mean that you will be unable to buy prepacked house coal from any retail outlet, such as a supermarket, petrol forecourt, garden centre or from a coal merchant.
• You are not legally able purchase traditional house coal from any source.
• Manufacturers of solid fuels will also need to show that their products have a very low sulphur content and emit only a small amount of smoke.
• To find out if manufactured solid fuel is authorised or certified, please check Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Authorised/Certified Fuels for England.

Anthracite sales

• There is no change to the sale of anthracite as it is a naturally occurring smokeless fuel.

Reduce air pollution

To find out more on other ways of reducing pollution see:

• Simple ways to help reduce air pollution
• Use less energy in your home