Does the phasing out of wet wood and coal affect how you heat your home?

The sale of the most polluting fuels burned in household stoves and open fires will be phased out from next year to clean up the air, the Government has said.

Plans to phase out the sale of house coal and wet wood have been confirmed, as part of efforts to tackle tiny particle pollutants known as PM2.5, which can penetrate deep into lungs and the blood and cause serious health problems.

Wood burning stoves and coal fires are the single largest source of PM2.5, contributing three times as much of the pollution as road transport, the Environment Department (Defra) said.

So sales of two of the most polluting fuels, wet wood and house coal, will be phased out from 2021 to 2023, to give householders and suppliers time to move to cleaner alternatives such as dry wood and manufactured solid fuels.

These produce less smoke and pollution, and are cheaper and more efficient to burn, officials said.

Sales of all bagged traditional house coal will be phased out by February 2021, and the sale of loose coal direct to customers via approved coal merchants will end by February 2023.

Sales of wet wood in units of under two cubic metres will be restricted from sale from February 2021, to allow for existing stocks to be used up.

What are your views? Do you have a wood burner or open fire? How will this new legislation affect you?