According to the Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) those thinking of installing a wood burning stove can relax - the government is not seeking to ban them, but instead to make sure that we are educated about what fuel we should be burning and on what appliance.
With the introduction of Ecodesign Ready stoves in the last few years, wood burning has recently got a lot greener. In fact according to the SIA website, when burnt correctly, wood is one of the most environmentally friendly fuels and is virtually carbon neutral.
How you burn wood is key to reducing particulate emissions (PM) hence the Government introducing the Ready to Burn scheme which requires that logs should have a moisture content below 20%. Happily, at Well Seasoned Wood, ours are guaranteed below 15% and are frequently around 8%. It is also very important if you haven’t bought your stove already, to install an EcoDesign Ready stove which can help significantly in reducing emissions. If you already have a stove, particularly if it is over 10 years old, it is advisable to upgrade.
Burning logs for warmth and enjoying the flickering flames of a fire is virtually written into our DNA, but is wood burning bad for the planet? The government actually sees wood fuel as a sustainable process, one that provides a solution to our future energy needs, not a problem, as long as it is burnt responsibly.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-air-strategy-2019
http://www.stoveindustryalliance.com/defra-clean-air-strategy/
Ecodesign is the European-wide programme to lower emissions