Households may face £1,300 fine for using fireplace

If you live in a smoke control area, you cannot release smoke from a chimney and you can only burn authorised fuel, unless you use a Defra-approved appliance, the government warns. 

The restriction follows the news that approximately 10 million state pensioners are set to lose their £300 Winter Fuel Payment this season. 

This may encourage people to look for alternative ways to keep their homes warm, such as switching to log burners and fireplaces as well as using solid fuels. 

Smoke control areas 

The UK government confirmed that households may be required to pay a penalty of up to £300 if their chimney releases smoke in a smoke control area.  

People can also be fined up to £1,000 if buying unauthorised fuel to use in an appliance that is not approved by Defra. 

In a smoke control area, you can only burn fuel on the list of authorised fuels, or any of the following ‘smokeless’ fuels, unless you’re using a Defra approved appliance: 

Unauthorised fuels, such as wood, can only be burnt in exempt appliances such as some boilers, cookers and stoves. 

Households must only use the types of fuel that the manufacturer says can be used in the appliance, the government said. 

People can use outdoor barbecues, chimineas, fireplaces or pizza ovens in smoke control areas. 

If the appliance uses a chimney on the roof of a building (for example, a summerhouse), you can only burn authorised fuel unless it’s an exempt appliance. 

English councils only issued 17 fines over six years, despite over 18,000 complaints. 

The government has now instructed local authorities to consider using powers in the 2021 Environment Act to issue on-the-spot civil penalties. 

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