Environment Improvement Plan published confirming no ban on domestic burning in England

The Environment Improvement Plan (EIP) states that the government is not considering a ban on domestic burning in England, according to the certification body HETAS¹. The plan also recognises that some households are reliant on solid fuel burning for heating, hot water and cooking, and HETAS reports that a ban on domestic outdoor burning would be considered disproportionate¹.

"The recently published Environment Improvement Plan (EIP) clearly states that the government is not considering a ban on domestic burning in England"

Alongside the EIP position, HETAS has set out the requirements of its Cleaner Choice certification scheme, which it says goes further than any other industry scheme and exceeds Ecodesign and Defra Exemption requirements¹. Products listed under the scheme achieve a 50 per cent improvement on particulates against currently recognised requirements within UK Smoke Control Areas¹. Appliances must meet that improvement over an average of three or five tests, depending on the appliance, for particulates at both high and low output¹. HETAS gives the limit as the equation (5/0.3)*0.1)/2, so that a 5kW stove output would have a limit of 3.3 g/h¹.

Certified products must also meet all essential requirements of Ecodesign and Energy Labelling, including minimum seasonal efficiency and maximum permitted emission limits, with that information visible to consumers on retailer websites and in associated documentation¹. Appliances must meet the relevant clauses of UKCA or CE marking, including verification that a suitable FPC is in place, and instructions must give a true representation of initial type testing results and must not conflict with Approved Document J installation practices and guidance¹. HETAS says there are near 300 certified Cleaner Choice products, searchable by brand, product name, fuel type, efficiency, air control and additional certification status such as Defra exemption and MCS¹.

Manufacturers quoted by HETAS describe the certification process. Mark Jones, Director of Sales and Marketing at Midtherm, said the company now has an efficient Cleaner Choice product after design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing¹. Karen Harris, Company Director at Chilli Penguin, said its engineering team had redesigned all of its stoves to meet the Ecodesign criteria and was especially pleased to meet the more stringent HETAS Cleaner Choice standard¹.

Why it matters for households

For homes that burn wood or other solid fuel, the EIP position means the rules on domestic burning in England are not heading towards a ban, and the recognition of household reliance on solid fuel acknowledges that some homes have no practical alternative for heat, hot water or cooking¹. What changes instead is the appliance. The Cleaner Choice standard sets a particulate limit half that of the requirements already recognised in UK Smoke Control Areas, so a certified stove or boiler is measured against a tighter emissions figure than the baseline¹. Efficiency and emission information must also be visible at the point of sale, which affects what a household can compare before buying¹. The UK home energy regulation and policy guide sets out where solid fuel rules sit within the wider framework, and the regulation and energy independence guide covers what the rules allow at home. Registration and competent person arrangements for solid fuel work are covered in the HETAS vs OFTEC comparison, and the department responsible for this policy area is covered in the DESNZ guide. Rules differ outside England, as set out in the guide to energy and buildings policy in Wales.

What happens next

No dated next steps are given in the material. HETAS states that it publishes monthly features on Cleaner Choice manufacturers and that its product search covers near 300 certified products¹.

Sources1 cited

1. An increasing choice for Cleaner Choice - HETAS, hetas.co.uk