Ecodesign requirements for wood burning stoves are due to come into force in the UK in 2022, according to the Stove Industry Association (SIA). The trade body said the European-wide programme to lower emissions would apply to stoves in the UK in that year, and that its own Ecodesign Ready models already meet the requirements1. All stoves placed on the market after January 2022 must be Ecodesign compliant, and the rules do not apply to stoves bought or placed on the market before that date2.
The requirements set criteria around a stove's emissions and efficiency. A compliant stove must not emit more than a specified amount of particulate matter (PM), organic gaseous compounds (OGC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and must reach a certain level of efficiency2. The SIA said its Ecodesign Ready stoves produce 90% less emissions than an open fire and 80% fewer emissions than many older, very basic stove models1.
"Ecodesign is the European-wide programme to lower emissions. It is due to come into force for stoves in the UK in 2022."
Separately, the government has consulted on proposals to reduce emissions from domestic burning, including stricter emission limits on new stoves, mandatory labelling including about health impacts, and increased enforcement penalties for fuel suppliers. A total ban on wood burners was not part of those proposals, and the proposed restrictions on emissions and labelling would apply only to new stoves2. In January 2026, Emma Hardy, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said no "final decision" had been made on a wood-burning stove ban2.
Rules already apply to existing stove owners, mainly covering the fuels that may be burned. In England, as of the summer of 2023, it is illegal to burn coal (excluding smokeless coal) or wet wood in the home. Scotland and Wales, which have devolved powers on environmental matters, are still considering this ban; in those countries coal and wet wood cannot be burned in smoke control areas2. Smoke control areas cover most towns and cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in these areas smoke may not be released from a chimney, meaning wood cannot be burned in normal stoves. Owners must either use a DEFRA-exempt stove or burn smokeless fuel such as anthracite coal2. A carbon monoxide alarm is a legal requirement in any room with a wood-burning stove2.
Councils can issue on-the-spot civil penalties starting at £175, up to £300, if a chimney emits too much smoke in a smoke control area. Burning the wrong fuel in a non-regulation appliance can attract a fine of up to £1,000, and repeatedly breaking the legislation can result in a criminal conviction2.
| Nation | Coal and wet wood ban status |
|---|---|
| England | Illegal to burn coal (excluding smokeless coal) or wet wood in the home since summer 20232 |
| Scotland | Still considering the ban; coal and wet wood cannot be burned in smoke control areas2 |
| Wales | Still considering the ban; coal and wet wood cannot be burned in smoke control areas2 |
Why it matters for households
For a household that heats with wood, the practical effect of the Ecodesign rules falls on what can be bought rather than on what is already owned. A stove placed on the market before January 2022 is outside the requirement2, so an existing appliance is not made non-compliant by the change. Anyone buying a new stove is buying into the emission and efficiency criteria, which bear on how much heat a given amount of fuel produces and how much smoke leaves the flue2.
The rules that shape day-to-day use are the smoke control designations and the fuel restrictions. In a smoke control area, burning wood in a normal stove is not permitted, and the choice narrows to a DEFRA-exempt stove or a smokeless fuel2. DEFRA-exempt stoves are built to stop wood from smoldering, which reduces the smoke released2. Where a household burns wood, the SIA states that only wood with a moisture content below 20% should be burnt and that the chimney should be swept regularly by a registered chimney sweep1. The SIA describes the CO2 absorbed by trees before coppicing as equivalent to the CO2 produced by its Ecodesign Ready stoves when logs are burnt, which it says makes the stove entirely carbon neutral1.
For energy independence, a compliant stove remains a way to heat a home from a fuel a household can store and source itself, but it sits inside a framework of emission limits, local smoke control rules, fuel standards and penalties. The certification schemes that sit above the legal minimum, including HETAS Cleaner Choice, Clearskies and the Nordic Ecolabel, are voluntary; Which? states that a stove with any of these certifications is not required2.
What happens next
The government's consultation on domestic burning proposals has been launched, covering stricter emission limits on new stoves, mandatory labelling including about health impacts, and increased enforcement penalties for fuel suppliers2. No final decision has been made on a wood-burning stove ban, according to Emma Hardy's January 2026 statement2. The government has confirmed it will continue to allow wood burners to be added to new build homes as a secondary heat source, and the Scottish government has temporarily dropped restrictions on installing wood-burning stoves following concerns about how the change would affect users in rural areas2.
Sources2 cited
- You can be proud of a new Ecodesign Ready wood burning stove! - Stove Industry Association | SIA, stoveindustryassociation.org
- Wood burning stoves: fines and regulations - Which?, which.co.uk