Consultation on Cleaner Domestic Burning of Solid Fuels and Wood

The Clean Air Strategy states that air pollution is the top environmental risk to human health in the UK. Air pollution is usually thought of being caused by transport or industrial level burning of fossil fuels. However now that the emissions from these sources have started to be decreased, the relative importance of emissions from other sources has increased. The Strategy states that the Government needs to also tackle these other sources of air pollution, including emissions caused by heating our homes. Therefore on 17th August this year the Government launched a consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood which ended on 12^th October. Depending on the results of the review of responses, the Government may recommend changes to the regulations so that: Consumers who burn traditional house coal switch to alternative fuels (e.g. low sulphur manufactured solid fuels); Consumers switch from wet wood to dry wood (with a moisture content of 20% or less); Introduction of sulphur limits and smoke emission limits for all manufactured solid fuels. These changes would then be regulated by local authorities. Many farms and estates produce and sell firewood, so the recommendations could affect their business practices including how long timber is seasoned and how it is stored.