Owning a wood-burning stove can evoke many positive thoughts and feelings. They bring warmth and comfort to a room and look incredible, but they also come with responsibilities.
Misusing or poorly maintaining a stove can lead to safety hazards, legal issues, environmental harm, and costly damage. In the UK, recent regulations and standards highlight the importance of proper stove operation and usage. Below, we outline the top seven mistakes a stove owner can make and how to avoid them, focusing on safety, environmental impact, and maintenance.
Mistake #1 – Burning Wet or Unseasoned Wood
One of the most common and harmful mistakes is burning wet (unseasoned) wood. Freshly cut or unseasoned logs contain a high water content. When burned, this water turns to steam, creating excess smoke and harmful particulate pollution. Wet wood also produces thick tar and soot deposits in your chimney, raising the risk of chimney fires while giving off much less heat than dry wood. Burning damp logs is therefore inefficient, unsafe, and bad for air quality.
As of May 2021, it’s illegal to sell firewood in small quantities (under 2 cubic metres) that isn’t properly dried. All such wood fuel must be certified as “Ready to Burn” (moisture content 20% or less). This law aims to ensure consumers use seasoned logs. According to London’s air quality program, wood dried to a low moisture content can emit up to 50% less pollution than fresh-cut logs and also produces more heat per log. Use a moisture meter to check your firewood is under 20% moisture before burning. By avoiding the mistake of burning wet wood, you’ll enjoy a hotter fire, a cleaner chimney, and cleaner air.
The diagram below illustrates the significant impact of moisture content on heat output.
Mistake #2 – Using Treated Wood, rubbish, or prohibited fuels
Your wood-burning stove is not designed for incinerating waste or scrap wood. Burning treated or painted wood, household rubbish, or other prohibited fuels is extremely dangerous and often illegal. Chemically treated timber, such as old fence panels, pallets, or furniture, and painted/varnished wood, release toxic fumes and pollutants when burned. Pressure-treated wood can emit arsenic and other poisonous chemicals into your home and the environment. Similarly, plastics, printed coloured paper, plywood, MDF, and general rubbish should never be burned in a stove; they produce noxious smoke that can damage your stove and flue, as well as harm your health. UK law forbids burning such waste; doing so not only endangers you but could also violate environmental regulations on emissions.
Another critical fuel to avoid is coal in a wood-burning stove. Traditional house coal is a highly polluting fuel and has now been banned for sale to households in England (since 1 May 2023). Coal and similarly smoky solid fuels produce thick soot and PM2.5 pollution, contributing to poor air quality and smog. The ban on house coal is meant to curb these emissions. Furthermore, wood-burning stoves are not designed for use with coal or smokeless mineral fuels, unless they are specifically designed multifuel models. Using coal or coke in a wood-only stove can cause overheating and damage to the appliance. Charcoal, for example, can burn at over 1000°C, far above what a wood stove is built to handle. Stick to the manufacturer’s recommended fuel, which for a wood stove means using only dry wood.
Mistake #3 – Sticking with an Outdated, High-Emissions Stove (Not Upgrading to Ecodesign!)
Using a dirty, inefficient stove or open fireplace in today’s regulatory climate is a serious mistake for both environmental and practical reasons. Open fires are highly inefficient, with an efficiency of around 20%, and are the most polluting way to burn solid fuels. An open fire can emit a lot more smoke and fine particles (PM) than a modern Ecodesign stove. Even older, closed-window models tend to produce far higher emissions.
By contrast, the latest Ecodesign stoves are engineered to burn much cleaner and more efficiently. The government implemented new Ecodesign regulations for solid fuel stoves on 1 January 2022. The wood-burning stoves in the Charlton & Jenrick range became Ecodesign a number of years before this. It is now illegal to manufacture or import non-compliant stoves in the UK. Older, high-emission stoves that do not meet these standards have been effectively phased out and are now banned from sale.
Ecodesign stoves cut pollution dramatically. Compared to older Defra-exempt models, the Ecodesign emission limits for wood stoves reduce allowable particulate matter by 55% and carbon monoxide by 88%. This leads to a significant improvement in air quality and a cleaner burn. Data from the UK’s Chief Medical Officer report found that modern Ecodesign wood stoves emit far less pollution than older stoves; older types produced eight times more particulate pollution than Ecodesign models. These stoves are also required to have a high efficiency (typically 75% or above), meaning more of the wood’s energy is converted to heat for your home rather than lost up the chimney. Clinging to an outdated stove or open fire is a mistake best avoided: you’ll generate excessive smoke, waste fuel, and possibly run afoul of current standards.
Modern stoves, such as the Purevision LPV8 above, do a better job of heating with significantly less environmental impact.
If Ecodesign is not enough to demonstrate how clean stoves have become, then there is the clearSkies mark. All appliances displaying the clearSkies mark have been independently certified by the Scheme administrator, confirming that they meet or exceed the Ecodesign Regulations. Look for the clearSkies mark and find out what clearSkies level a stove has been scored before you buy. Discover more.
Mistake #4 – Ignoring Smoke Control Area Rules
If you live in an urban or suburban area in the UK, there’s a good chance you live in a Smoke Control Area (SCA), regions designated under the Clean Air Act, where smoke emissions are tightly restricted. One of the worst mistakes a stove owner can make is ignoring these local laws. In a Smoke Control Area, it is illegal to emit substantial smoke from your chimney. This means you cannot burn wood or other unauthorised fuels in a standard appliance in that area. The only way you are allowed to use wood in an SCA is if you have a stove that is officially Defra-exempt (also called an “exempt appliance”), or if you use an approved smokeless fuel. Exempt appliances, many of which are Ecodesign stoves, have been tested to ensure they produce minimal smoke. Burning wood on a non-exempt stove in a smoke control zone, or using unauthorised fuel, such as house coal or wet wood, in those areas, can result in fines and legal action.
Fines can be hefty: breaking smoke control rules can result in an on-the-spot fine typically ranging from £175 up to £300. If prosecuted, the maximum fine can reach £1,000 for each offence, correct as of September 2025. It’s also illegal to sell unauthorised fuel for home use in a smoke control area unless it’s for use in an exempt appliance. To avoid these fines and, importantly, to avoid causing undue pollution in your community, always know whether you’re in a Smoke Control Area. If you are, only burn approved fuels and/or use an approved stove as required. This might mean using kiln-dried wood with the “Ready to Burn” logo and a Defra-exempt (low-emission) stove model. Flouting these rules not only risks legal trouble but also contributes to urban air quality problems. Being a responsible stove owner means adhering to clean air laws.
Mistake #5 – Skipping Regular Chimney Sweeping and Maintenance
Neglecting your stove and chimney’s maintenance is a serious mistake with implications for safety, efficiency, and potential legal consequences. Over time, burning wood, especially if it’s unseasoned or the stove is smouldering, will lead to a buildup of soot, creosote, and tar in the chimney flue. If not cleared, these deposits can ignite and cause a dangerous chimney fire. Failing to sweep your chimney regularly is one of the worst things you can do as a stove owner; it not only reduces your stove’s performance but also puts your home at risk. Most experts recommend at least an annual sweeping of your chimney, typically before the heating season starts, and more frequently, up to every three months if you use the stove daily in winter. Always use a qualified chimney sweep.
Beyond the chimney, the stove itself requires routine maintenance. It’s poor practice to fit and forget; wood-burning stoves have components that wear and need care. Door seals or gaskets can deteriorate, metal parts can crack or corrode, and ash needs to be cleared. An annual service by a qualified technician typically involves cleaning internal parts, checking the door seal integrity, inspecting the flue for blockages or damage, and ensuring that vents and controls function properly. A well-maintained stove will generate more heat from the same amount of fuel and run in a cleaner, safer way. Skipping maintenance can lead to poor performance, higher fuel consumption, and an increased risk of serious issues. Don’t make the mistake of neglecting maintenance. Maintenance not only keeps you compliant with safety guidelines but also extends the life of your stove and protects your home.
Mistake #6 – Slumbering the Stove and Other Improper Firing Practices
How you operate your wood burner on a day-to-day basis has a significant impact on both safety and emissions. A very common mistake is slumbering the stove. This means turning the air vents down and letting the fire smoulder at low output for an extended period, often overnight. This practice may seem convenient for keeping a fire going until morning, but it is not advisable at all. Slumbering leads to incomplete combustion, which means thick smoke, excessive creosote buildup, and potentially high carbon monoxide production. The fire smoulders without enough air, so the wood doesn’t burn cleanly. This not only congests up your chimney rapidly, increasing fire risk and carbon monoxide poisoning, but also releases more fine particulates into the atmosphere, and possibly into your room. By keeping the air supply adequate and refuelling the fire when needed rather than damping it severely, you make a hotter, cleaner burn with minimal smoke.
Another dangerous practice to avoid is using accelerants or improper methods to start the fire. Pouring petrol, diesel, or other flammable liquids onto wood to get it going is extremely dangerous. These fuels can vaporise and ignite explosively, leading to flash fires or even an explosion in your stove. The correct way to light a wood burner is to use kindling (small, dry sticks) and, ideally, the top-down lighting method or appropriate firelighters. It’s also good practice to maintain proper airflow while the fire is burning. Many users make the mistake of shutting down the air vents too soon, in an effort to slow down or save fuel, but this can cause the fire to smoulder and produce excess smoke and carbon monoxide. Always follow your stove manufacturer’s guidelines for air control settings to ensure efficient combustion. On the other hand, avoid overloading the firebox with too many logs at once; over-fuelling can choke the fire’s air supply and lead to incomplete burning, as well as excessive heat that could damage the stove. Use your stove the way it was intended: with proper kindling, adequate ventilation, and moderate fuel loads. Improper operation, from smouldering fires to reckless lighting methods, is a mistake that can undermine all the benefits of your wood-burning stove by making it dirty, unsafe, and polluting.
Mistake #7 – Neglecting Essential Safety Precautions (Alarms and Ventilation)
Finally, a critical mistake that no stove owner should make is failing to take basic safety precautions in the home. Among these is not installing a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in any room with a solid-fuel stove. Burning wood releases carbon monoxide, especially if combustion is incomplete, and this gas is colourless, odourless, and deadly. A CO detector is the only reliable way to catch a leak or buildup before it harms you. UK building regulations have recognised this; since October 2010, any new wood stove installation legally must include a CO alarm in the same room. Landlords are also required by law to provide CO alarms in properties with solid-fuel appliances. The UK Department for Environment (DEFRA) urges all stove users to install a carbon monoxide monitor, which will alert you to dangerous fumes and reduce your risk of CO poisoning. Skipping this inexpensive device can be the difference between life and death. Test your CO alarm regularly and replace its batteries as needed, just as you would with smoke alarms.
In addition to a CO detector, ensure you have a working smoke alarm on each level of your home and especially near the room with the stove. Also, pay attention to ventilation requirements: modern high-efficiency stoves and any stove with a heating output of over 5 kW typically require an air vent or a permanent supply of external air, as per building regulations. Blocking air vents or having an airtight house with a roaring fire can cause the stove to draw oxygen from the room, potentially leading to smoke spillage or CO accumulation. Always keep any purpose-provided ventilation open during stove operation. Never leave a lit stove unattended for long periods, and use a proper fireguard if children or pets are present. These may sound like basic tips, but neglecting them is surprisingly common and can have dire consequences. A wood-burning stove, when used responsibly, can be very safe; however, failing to respect fire safety essentials is a serious mistake that no owner should make.
Owning a wood-burning stove entails several responsibilities. The worst practices outlined above, from burning the wrong fuels to ignoring maintenance and safety, not only endanger your health and home, but also undermine the environmental benefits of using wood as a renewable heat source. The good news is that each of these mistakes is entirely avoidable. By burning only dry, clean wood and approved fuels in a modern Ecodesign stove, following the law in smoke control areas, keeping your chimney swept and your stove serviced, and taking basic safety measures like installing CO alarms, you can enjoy the comfort of your stove with peace of mind.
