Daily Express, on UK Politics, 8 November 2026

6.0out of 10Serious

Log burner owners – do you live in one of them?

Tap a highlight to see why it matters.2 findings

Log burner owners could face £300 fine in many UK locations – do you live in one of them? At the moment, there is no ban on log burners anywhere in the UK, but households can face a £300 fine now if they don't comply with one key rule when living in certain areas. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Angela Patrone , Senior Lifestyle Reporter 04:01, Sun, Nov 8, 2026 Smoke Control Areas for log burning stoves explained There are many misconceptions around the sale and use of log-burning stoves in the UK.

It’s true that using wood-burning stoves in the UK is now more tightly regulated than in the past because of concerns about air pollution and health, especially in relation to fine particulate matter emissions. England does not have a ban on households owning or using wood-burning stoves. The Government has said they will continue to be permitted as secondary heating in new homes. However, rules do apply as to which stoves may be sold, what fuels can be burnt in smoke control areas, and how wood is sold.

Three sets of rules apply in England now, and each affects which stove and which fuel you can use. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT You can’t let smoke come from your chimney in key areas unless you have a DEFRA approved stove (Image: Getty) What applies today? One of the main rules that apply is that you cannot let smoke come from your chimney unless you either burn an authorised smokeless fuel or use a DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) exempt appliance, often called a DEFRA-approved stove, if you live in a smoke control area as are most towns and cities in England.

Local councils can issue a fine of up to £300 for smoke from a chimney in a smoke control area . If you live outside a smoke control area, these limits do not apply, but the fuel rules below still do. There are also restrictions on what you can burn. In most homes, burning wet wood or traditional house coal is prohibited because they produce smoke and harmful particles. These rules aim to improve air quality and protect public health. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT What’s more, all newly sold stoves must comply with Ecodesign standards, meaning they burn more cleanly and use fuel more efficiently.

Introduced in 2022, these requirements are intended to ensure that modern stoves are significantly better for the environment than older models. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The government is considering stricter regulations, but there is absolutely no indication that wood-burning stoves could be banned. London – all 32 boroughs and the City of London Birmingham Manchester Sheffield Leeds Liverpool Newcastle Wakefield Nottingham Derby Bristol Bath Stoke-on-Trent Bradford Preston Leicester Norwich Peterborough Hull Doncaster Wolverhampton Coventry Sunderland Plymouth Portsmouth Southampton Reading Log burner rules (Image: Angela Patrone/Gemini) Get tips and tricks to help with cleaning, laundry and heating your house plus selected offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family .

Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Clothes will dry in ‘much less time’ without tumble dryer after dad’s simple 10-minute tip How to keep homes warmer without heating | Express.co.uk What future log burner rules could be made?

Defra ran a public consultation this year from January 22 to March 19 on tightening the rules for domestic burning. The proposals include: Stricter emission limits for new stoves to be sold in the future Clearer labelling of solid fuels Higher penalties for breaking smoke control rules Will there be a log burner ban in 2027? ​​No law banning wood burners is due to take effect in 2027, and no start date has been announced. Claims about a 2027 ban stem from the 2026 consultation, which suggested stricter standards for new stoves and fuels, not a ban on stove use.

If you’re buying a stove this winter, the safest option is a DEFRA-exempt, Ecodesign model, used with Ready to Burn or kiln-dried logs. This combination complies with current rules both inside and outside smoke control areas and aligns with the direction of the proposed standards. See more of the stories you love from Daily Express and find us easily in Google by making us a Preferred Source. Free and easy-to-do, just click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

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What we found (2)

The Express says most towns and cities in England are smoke control areas, then prints a "full list" of just 27, so a reader in a town not on the list may wrongly think the £300 rule does not apply to them. The headline also calls the fine a flat £300 in UK locations, while the body says councils can fine up to £300 and describes only rules in England.

  1. Uses figures that mislead

    Serious

    “Full list of the 27 smoke control areas”

    Why this matters
    The words "Full list of the 27 smoke control areas" present 27 places, with all of London counted as one, as the complete set of areas where the smoke rule applies.
    The impression it gives
    A reader in any town not on the list believes they are outside a smoke control area and cannot be fined for chimney smoke.
    The context
    The article itself says smoke control areas cover "most towns and cities in England". A list of 27 cannot be complete, so the "full list" contradicts the article's own description of the rule's scope.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“as are most towns and cities in England”
    • Elsewhere in the article“Local councils can issue a fine of up to £300 for smoke from a chimney in a smoke control area”

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    Most towns and cities in England are smoke control areas. Check with your local council whether yours is one, because the places listed here are only examples.

  2. Headline goes beyond the article

    Minor

    “could face £300 fine in many UK locations”

    Why this matters
    The headline states a flat "£300 fine" in "UK locations".
    The impression it gives
    A reader believes the fine is a fixed £300 and that it applies across the whole UK.
    The context
    The body says councils can issue a fine of "up to £300", and it describes only rules in England.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“can issue a fine of up to £300”
    • Elsewhere in the article“Three sets of rules apply in England now”

    Show it in the article

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