More than one million British family homes warm their cockles with a wood-burning stove during the winter months. This year, however, they will face a crackdown, after the Government announced plans to outlaw all but the cleanest stoves by 2022 as part of its wider Clean Air Strategy. The Government will ban the sale of stoves that don’t meet environmental standards, encourage the sale of cleaner wood and ask those who own older, less green stoves to consider upgrading. It could also introduce “no-burn notices” that give councils the power to block people from using their stoves on days when air quality is particularly low. Stoves available on the market now release 90 per cent fewer emissions than open fires and 80 per cent fewer than the stoves of 10 years ago, he adds. Newly designed stoves are also 80 per cent efficient, increased from 60 per cent in 2008, meaning new owners get more heat for their money. Unfortunately, it is difficult to make older stoves cleaner, according to Milligan: “You can retrofit filters, but they’re very expensive and not really proven technology.” “The best thing to do if you have a stove is to ensure you’re burning dry wood,” says Milligan. “It will cut the emissions and give you more heat.” Garage forecourts, garden centres and DIY stores have started selling Government-approved “ready-to-burn” wood, which contains just 20 per cent moisture. Soon, this could be the only wood available. For those who burn wood they have chopped themselves, Milligan recommends letting it dry for two years before putting it on the stove.
Telegraph 14th Jan 2019 read more »