Households which use their chimney could face an instant £300 fine.
Many homeowners in England who use chimneys could face fines (Image: Getty)
Households in many major cities in England face fines of up to £300 if they use their chimney this winter as colder weather returns – and up to £1,000 for using unauthorised fuels. Log burners and wood burners connected ot a fireplace are still a popular way to heat your home and have seen something of a resurgence in the past few years, especially with rising electricity prices.
People are beginning to return to wood burning stoves, open fires and fireplaces as a cosy and traditional way of keeping warm in winter. It is possible to use approved smokeless fuels instead, though, which won’t emit smoke from your chimney, but if you use the wrong fuel, you could face a fine of up to £1,000.
Smoke Control Areas are boundaries, agreed by local councils, which restrict the use of chimneys within them.
This doesn’t just limit the amount of smoke you can produce from a chimney, but is a blanket ban stopping you from emitting any smoke from your chimney at all.
Despite calls to ban them, the Energy Saving Trust says: “At the moment, there is no ban on wood burners anywhere in the UK.
“However, in December 2025 the UK Government published its environmental improvement plan. Part of this plan involves a consultation on cutting emissions from burning in homes in England. What this means for wood burners is unclear, but we’ll update this guide once more information is available.
“In Scotland specifically, The Scottish Government has said that wood burning stoves can be installed in new homes. However, gas and oil boilers are still banned as the main heating system in new builds.”
It adds: “Local authorities in England have the power to issue fines starting from £175 for people breaking these rules. But the fines can go as high as £300.
“You could also get a fine of up to £1,000 for using unauthorised fuel in an appliance that’s not on the Defra-exempt list.
“If the situation goes to court, fines could be as high as £5,000 for repeat offenders.”
Most major cities in England fall under a Defra Smoke Control Area, including most of London, as well as most of Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool.
Defra says in its guidance: “Open fires and wood-burning stoves have risen in popularity over recent years.
“Smoke from burning causes air pollution which harms the health of millions.
“We can work together to improve the quality of the air we breathe.
“Did you know that certain areas of the country are designated as ‘smoke control areas’?
“A smoke control area is a legally defined area where you cannot emit smoke from a chimney.
“You can be issued a financial penalty of between £175 to £300 if you break this rule.
“You must not buy an unauthorised fuel for use in a smoke control area unless it is to be used in an exempt appliance. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you break this rule.
“Defra exempted stoves include wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves. These have been rigorously tested and demonstrate low smoke emissions when used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and with the recommended fuel.”
A Defra spokesperson said: “This is about cutting the most harmful emission to human health, usually in built up areas where they can do most damage, and is not about whether a building has a chimney.
“Smoke Control Areas stop chimneys from releasing smoke and only allow certain fuels to be burnt unless an approved appliance is used. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing Smoke Control Areas
Cities in England where you could get a £300 log burner fine
Cities in England which are fully or partly covered by a Smoke Control Area include:
London (all of London, except West Ham)
Birmingham
Manchester
Sheffield
Leeds
Liverpool
Newcastle
Wakefield
Nottingham
Derby
Bristol
Bath
Stoke-on-Trent
Bradford
Preston
Leicester
Norwich
Peterborough
Hull
Doncaster
Wolverhampton
Worcester
Coventry
Milton Keynes
Reading
Portsmouth
Brighton
But there are other areas including towns and parishes which also have Smoke Control Areas in place, as well as areas within these cities which do not.
To check if your area is covered, go to https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/data/sca/