Wood Burner Rules for Winter 2026/27: What Has Changed

What applies this winter

• In a smoke control area, you can burn logs only in a Defra-exempt stove. Open fires and other stoves need an authorised smokeless fuel. Smoke from a chimney can bring a penalty of £175 to £300, and buying unauthorised fuel for a stove that isn't exempt can bring a fine of up to £1,000, says GOV.UK.
• Outside a smoke control area, you can burn dry wood on any stove or open fire, though the council can still act if smoke becomes a nuisance to neighbours.
• Wood sold in volumes under 2 m³ must be certified Ready to Burn, at 20% moisture or less, under rules in force since 2021. Traditional house coal can't be sold for use in homes.
• New stoves have had to meet Ecodesign emission limits since January 2022. Existing stoves don't need replacing.

See wood burner rules for the full guide.

What the government has proposed

Defra and the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ran a consultation on solid fuel burning from 22 January to 19 March 2026. It proposed:

• A tighter smoke limit for new stoves, cut from 5 to 1 gram an hour, starting three to five years after any new law.
• Emissions labels on stoves and fuels.
• Penalties of up to £2,000 for suppliers who break the fuel rules.

It ruled out a ban on wood burning and a scrappage scheme. None of this is law yet. As of October 2026, the Welsh Government says responses are still being reviewed, and no outcome has been published.

Changes in our area

• York: City of York Council says the whole council area becomes a smoke control area from 1 November 2026. If you have an open fire or a stove that isn't Defra-exempt, switch to an authorised smokeless fuel. A Defra-exempt stove can keep burning dry wood. See our York page.
• Wakefield: Wakefield Council has consulted, with a closing date of 25 October 2026, on replacing its old smoke control orders with a single district-wide order. If approved, it starts no sooner than six months later. The district is already covered by smoke control orders, so check our Wakefield page.
• Salford: Salford City Council plans to replace its 84 smoke control orders with a single citywide order. Objections closed on 17 August 2026, and no start date has been set.

Elsewhere, Kirklees and Rossendale are already covered almost entirely by smoke control areas. Check your address with our smoke control area guide.

Your winter checklist

1. Check whether your address is in a smoke control area, using your council's map.
2. If it is, check your stove is Defra-exempt. See Defra-exempt stoves. If it isn't, order an authorised smokeless fuel instead of logs.
3. Buy wood certified Ready to Burn, at 20% moisture or less. See what is Ready to Burn?.
4. Have your chimney swept before the cold weather. See how often to sweep your chimney.
5. Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a stove or fire.