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GTD installations Ltd
HETAS registered installer since 2012

Keeping the air cleaner

29 Jan 2026

 

After Clean Air Day last week, we would like to remind customers that your log burner works best and produces the least particulate matter (PM) when you use;

• Dry and seasoned wood. Dont use branches from your garden unless the tree died two years ago and you have kept it a dry place since then Use a moisture meter to check the moisture content is under 19%. Look for the 'Ready To Burn' Logo

• Burn your fire hot! - keep it in the optimal burning range. Buy a stove pipe thermometer if you don't have one. Get your wood stove hot to start with ( this may take 15mins or so ). Then add fuel in larger loads and less often, keeping the door closed more.

• Keep your flue/ chimney clean by regular cleaning and professional checking of the appliance to make sure it is safe to use and in good condition.

 

Also bear in mind that when the press talks about 'domestic combustion' they are not only talking about woodburners but also open fires, barbecues and bonfires. In fact the share of PM created by modern Ecodesign stoves is estimated to be only 0.3% of the total created by domestic combustion.

If you are thinking of having a woodburner installed, now is a great time. Check out our Special Offers.

 

New DEFRA proposals

26 Jan 2026

 

DEFRA have announced the results of the recent consultation. They propose to bring in changes that will a) tighten emissions on stoves, which may mean older stoves may need to be replaced with newer effcient and clean burning wood burners and may force stoves that are incorrectly fitted to be upgraded. b) add clearer labelling to logburners, multifuel stoves, biofuel , gas and pellet stoves. c) Add health labels to the packaging of coal to further educate users of coal of its air polluting qualites, especially when used to slumber stoves overnight. d) increase fines for breaches of the current regulations, which hopefully will stop the burning of wet leaves on garden braziers!

 

Emissions from domestic burning drops!

17 Feb 2025

 

In their annual emissions report, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) revealed annual PM2.5 and PM10 (particulate matter) emissions from domestic combustion dropped below the level of road transport emissions in 2023. This reduction reflects the continued progress within the solid fuel industry to reduce domestic combustion emissions. 

There are a number of factors contributing to this marked reduction:

• - The HETAS Cleaner Choice Approval scheme only approves appliance registrations if PM emissions are reduced by at least 50% more than the reduction required by smoke control area guidances. 
   

• - Appliance manufacturers continue to advance their technologies, achieving improvements across the industry.
   

• - There are tighter controls on highly polluting fuels (currently affecting England only). Most notably; a ban on the sale of house coal.
   

• - The Ready to Burn scheme makes sure that the only legally available solid mineral fuels have strictly limited emission and sulphur contents and places restrictions on the maximum moisture content for wood fuels. Ensuring a consistent and efficient burn. Buy fuel for your woodburner here
   

• - Regular maintenance and advice by chimney sweeps keeps appliances working efficiently; helping to identify/fix any issues that may arise and extending an appliance's lifespan. Book a chimney sweep at www.chimneysweep.info 
   

Scotland halt the ban on logburners

1st Oct 2024

 

Only a few months ago, the NBHS in Scotland banned the installation and use of woodburners and multifuel stoves, in all newly built housing going forwards. This was to force builders to create cleaner housing with environmentally friendly heating solutions. This ban has now been lifted for logburners but gas and oil systems are still banned. 

At the same time DEFRA have released a report in which they announce that the UK has met it's targets for reducing the concentrations of particulate matter in the air. So it's a good time to purchase a new cleaner burning log burner and remember to buy your fuel from a 'Woodsure' company and make sure that your wood has a moisture content of under 20% before burning it, or look for the 'Ready To Burn' logo when buying.
 

Fines for users of dirty fuels

5th Aug 2024

Some councils have finally started fining persistant polluters with wood burners. These people have ignored all warnings sent to them and have refused to meet minimum emission levels that modern wood burners have when burning smokeless coal or seasoned wood. Read more on the HETAS website.....

 

 

Clean Air Day Response

25th Jan 2024
 

There has been some bad press in the last week by the Clean Air campaign who are leading people to believe that wood burners may soon be banned. This is not the case, especially if you are thinking of purchasing a new ECO-compliant stove.
 

Clean Air day is about reducing the use of vehicles to reduce emissions; switching over to greener sources of energy; planting trees and creating green spaces in order to improve air quality and through this the health of the nation.
 

Claims made by the London Wood Burning Project and cleanairhub.org.uk this week, that domestic burning makes up 27% of PM2.5 emissions relies on the grouping of all methods of burning wood (thus including garden and allotment bonfires , chimineas, barbecues, pizza ovens & firepits) inside and outside the home, campsites and holiday venues.
 

However, the actual PM (particulate matter) contribution into the air of modern wood-burning stoves is estimated by the UK government's official figures at just 1-2%. Modern Ecodesign compliant stoves produce 90% less particulate emissions than a traditional old-fashioned open fire which burn very inefficiently. Data from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory shows that burning seasoned (dry) wood on an EcoDesign compliant stove accounted for less than 0.1% of total UK PM2.5 emissions in 2021.

However 70% of wood burned in London is done so on open fires, which is an offence in smoke control areas due to the dirty air created by the inefficient burning of fuels. All new Eco stoves meet the standards set for Smoke Control Areas so all new stoves are cleaner burning than ever and suitable for any area. Thus if any ban was to be brought in, it would need to start with bonfires, then tackle open fires in houses and on to older models of log burners before a blanket ban could be applied to the sale of new stoves. 

 

Poor Indoor Air Quality

 

A Manchester University study also conducted in 2021 found that candles, incense, and hairspray all gave higher PM readings than the use of a modern Eco-compliant log burner.

The worst offender when considering indoor air quality is the cooking of a fried breakfast, which gave PM readings over 20 times higher than the World Health Organisation's recommended limit.

Poor Outdoor Air Quality- Worst Offenders

 

 

Bonfire night alone in the UK generates 18 times the amount of PM2.5 emissions as all the Ecodesign stoves burning dry wood do all year round.

Cigarette smokers create 12 times as much PM2.5 annually as Ecodesign stoves burning dry wood
 

Thus you can use your wood burner and still support Clean Air Day but do make sure that;
    a) your fuel is from a quality supplier and wood is seasoned and low in moisture (use a moisture meter if you are unsure)

 

    b) you burn the stove in the optimum range (not too high/ not to low), a stove pipe thermometer can help you with this.

 

    c) you leave the air open overnight so that the stove does not slumber (burn at a very low temperature creating lots of soot and particulate matter)

 

    d) avoid burning outside, unless really necessary and if so, make sure you burn it hot and definitely do not burn household rubbish or wet leaves, branches etc, that's what the brown bin is for. Ask your neighbour if you don't have one.
 

    e) swap your charcoal barbeque for a wood burning stove with grill suitable for cooking in the garden