At Wood Fuel Direct, we fully support the announcement from Defra, in which the government will begin phasing out the sale of wet wood and house coal for household burning from Feb 2021. With the government encouraging consumers and suppliers in that time to find cleaner alternatives, such as dry wood or manufactured solid fuels. This is a positive step forward for the industry and one we have supported for some time.
WHAT DOES THE ANNOUNCEMENT MEAN?
If you are purchasing wood in volumes below 2m3 it must be below a moisture content of 25%. Why? Any fuel with a moisture content of over 25% isn’t considered ready for burning and will be in effect classed as wet wood. Typically this type of fuel has previously been found in some garage forecourts. Anything over 2m3 does not have to have a moisture content below 25% but it cannot be burned immediately and must be stored until it does.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE BUYING ‘READY TO BURN’ FUEL?
Look for the Woodsure ‘Ready to Burn’ logo, suppliers who are accredited under this scheme are providing fuel with a moisture content below 20%. Any Ready to Burn member will have a logo on their website and packaging with their unique identifier. If you cannot see this number, check with the supplier first, or have a look on the Woodsure Ready to Burn website where you can search for a supplier.
CONSIDER BUYING BRITISH FUEL
Although not enforced, consider where your fuel is coming from before you purchase it. You may be surprised to hear that a large proportion of fuel sold in the UK is imported. As this announcement is part of a wider strategy to reduce our environmental impact, reducing the number of miles travelled is surely a good thing. By buying British, not only are you reducing miles travelled, but you are also supporting the UK forestry industry.
HOW CAN I TELL WHERE MY FUEL IS SOURCED FROM?
Increasingly, suppliers who supply fuel from the UK are approved under the 'Grown in Britain' scheme, again, look out for the logo on packaging and websites. If you aren’t sure you should ask the supplier, suppliers should be upfront about where their product comes from. It’s worth noting, not always the case but, increasingly any firewood bought in crates is usually imported.
WILL WOOD BURNING STOVES BE BANNED?
As usual, the industry has seen a lot of incorrect reporting from the media in regards to ‘banning the sale of wood burning stoves’. The Stove Industry Alliance has recently reported that particulates caused by wood burning are likely to be nearer 12%, a much lower figure than previously reported by DEFRA in 2018, which sated 38% of particulates come from wood burning.
If you are thinking of installing a wood burning stove, look for a stove that is Eco Design Ready.
CAN YOU STILL BUY HEAT LOGS AND BRIQUETTES?
Yes, as long as they have a moisture content under 25%. Our Hotties Heat Logs have an average moisture content of below 5%, meaning they are ready for immediate burning, give off great heat and you’ll need fewer logs than traditional logs.
- Wood Fuel Direct are approved under the Woodsure ‘Ready to Burn’ scheme
- We’re also members of the Grown in Britain scheme and we manufacture our heat logs ourselves. They are created from natural wood waste such as sawdust, wood chips and other similar renewable raw materials which are all sourced from within the UK.
- We’re part of the BSW Timber Group a company that fully supports the UK forestry industry and the sustainable management and growth of woodlands.
- Our kilns run of biomass boilers, which are operated using waste material from our site.
- Our packaging is recyclable and we’re constantly looking at ways we can reduce & improve our packaging - so watch this space.
