UK households who have chimneys warned new rule could land them £300 fine

Households across the UK are being warned they could face a £300 fine if they use their chimney.

Homeowners with chimneys have been issued awarning over a new rule that could land them a £300 fine this month. Households across the UK are being warned they could face a £300 fine if they use their chimney.

Most houses built prior to the 1990s have a chimney but people very rarely use them nowadays with many households having their fireplaces bricked up. But households are being warned that they could be fined due to a new rule coming into place this month.

If your chimney starts billowing out smoke, there are areas of the UK where you can be reported to the local council and fined because of a new rule around Smoke Control Areas. Direct Stoves explains: "The current limit on the amount of smoke your chimney can produce in a Smoke Control Area is 5g per hour, plus 0.5g for each kW of your stove's heat output. However, there are plans to reduce this limit to 3g per hour, although when this will happen is not yet confirmed."

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"These rules mean that only some people with a wood-burning stove or open fire will pay a fine for using it. Most modern wood burners available are DEFRA-approved, so many stove owners do not need to worry," the group goes on to say.

It went on to add: "If you want to upgrade an older wood burner that emits a lot of smoke or are considering installing a wood burner in your home for the first time, get an appliance that DEFRA has approved for use in Smoke Control Areas."

Direct Stoves added: "A wood burner with this seal of approval is designed and tested to operate within the restrictions." It is an offence to use an unauthorised fuel in a non-exempt appliance, or to purchase an unauthorised fuel for this purpose.

You could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not comply with the law. It is also an offence to produce smoke from any chimney, appliance or fixed boiler even if you are using an authorised fuel or an exempt appliance, and if you do this you may be fined £300.

PM 2.5 pollution is not visible to the naked eye, so fuels labelled as ‘smokeless’ and more energy-efficient appliances may still produce a significant amount of air pollution.