England. Clean Air Act 1993
Can I burn this here?
In a smoke control area you may only burn authorised smokeless fuels, unless your appliance is on DEFRA's exempt list. Wood on an open fire is not permitted there, house coal is off sale in England altogether, and councils in England can now issue civil penalties for chimney smoke. Answer three questions to see where you stand.
Question 1
Where is the property?
This checker applies the rules for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run smoke control differently.
Scope of this checker
- Smoke control areas under the Clean Air Act 1993, as amended by the Environment Act 2021
- Open fires, DEFRA-exempt appliances and non-exempt stoves
- Authorised smokeless fuels, wood and house coal
- England-wide solid fuel sales rules (house coal ban, Ready to Burn wood)
- How to find out whether your address is in a smoke control area
Smoke Control Checker is an independent information site operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. It is not affiliated with DEFRA, any council or any government body, and nothing here is legal advice. Smoke control designations, exemption lists and penalty schemes change and vary by council, confirm the current position for your address with your local authority before burning or buying an appliance.
What you can legally burn in a smoke control area in England
Last updated
Common appliance and fuel combinations mapped to the Clean Air Act 1993 position, the same logic the checker applies, plus the England-wide sales rules that apply everywhere.
Mapped from the Clean Air Act 1993 (as amended by Schedule 12 of the Environment Act 2021), the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, and DEFRA's exempt appliance and authorised fuel lists for England, as of the updated date above. Penalty figures are the maxima stated in gov.uk guidance; individual council schemes vary.
| In a smoke control area | Permitted? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Authorised smokeless fuel, any appliance | Yes | Authorised fuels are legal everywhere, open fires included |
| Dry wood in a DEFRA-exempt stove | Yes | Exempt appliances may burn the fuels named in their exemption |
| Wood on an open fire | No | Wood is not an authorised fuel; civil penalty risk for chimney smoke |
| Wood in a non-exempt stove | No | Same position as an open fire under the Clean Air Act 1993 |
| Traditional house coal, any appliance | No | Not an authorised fuel, and off sale across England since 1 May 2023 |
| Outside a smoke control area: dry wood, any stove | Yes | No appliance restriction, but Ready to Burn sales rules and nuisance law still apply |
- In an English smoke control area you may only burn authorised smokeless fuels unless the appliance is on DEFRA's exempt list; wood on an open fire is not permitted.
- Since the Environment Act 2021, councils in England can issue civil financial penalties, up to £300 under current guidance, for chimney smoke in a smoke control area, without going to court.
- Traditional house coal has been off sale for domestic burning across England since 1 May 2023, and wood sold in volumes under 2 cubic metres must be certified Ready to Burn at 20% moisture or less.
Cite this page
“What you can legally burn in a smoke control area in England”, Smoke Control Checker, https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Mapped from the Clean Air Act 1993 (as amended by Schedule 12 of the Environment Act 2021), the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, and DEFRA's exempt appliance and authorised fuel lists for England, as of the updated date above. Penalty figures are the maxima stated in gov.uk guidance; individual council schemes vary.
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Go deeper
Sourced, dated, kept current.
Smoke control areas explained: how to check if you live in one
What a smoke control area is under the Clean Air Act 1993, what's restricted inside one, the penalties after the Environment Act 2021, and how to check your address.
DEFRA exempt stoves: what the list means and how to check it
A DEFRA-exempt stove can legally burn wood in a smoke control area. What exemption actually means, how to check a model on the official list, and the conditions attached.
Authorised smokeless fuels: what you can burn on an open fire
Authorised fuels are the only ones legal in any appliance in a smoke control area, open fires included. What counts, what replaced house coal, and how to check a fuel.
Questions, answered directly
Can I burn wood in a smoke control area?
Only in a DEFRA-exempt appliance, and only the fuel types its exemption lists. Wood on an open fire or non-exempt stove is not permitted in a smoke control area, only authorised smokeless fuels are.
How do I know if I live in a smoke control area?
Ask your local council, there is no complete national postcode checker. Find your council at gov.uk/find-local-council and search its site for 'smoke control area'; most publish a map or street list, and environmental health can confirm a specific address.
What is the fine for burning the wrong fuel in a smoke control area?
Councils in England can issue a civil penalty, up to £300 under current guidance, for chimney smoke in a smoke control area, and buying unauthorised fuel for a non-exempt appliance carries a fine of up to £1,000. Individual council schemes vary, check yours.
Is house coal banned?
In England, yes for sale: traditional bituminous house coal cannot be sold for domestic burning since 1 May 2023 under the 2020 solid fuel regulations. It was also never an authorised smoke control fuel. The devolved nations set their own rules.
Can I still have an open fire in a smoke control area?
Yes, but it may only burn authorised smokeless fuels such as anthracite or approved manufactured brands. To burn wood legally you would need to fit a DEFRA-exempt stove instead.
Do smoke control rules apply to fire pits and barbecues?
The chimney smoke restrictions target smoke from buildings' chimneys, so garden barbecues and fire pits are generally outside them, but bonfire smoke can still be a statutory nuisance and some councils restrict outdoor burning separately. Check your council's guidance.
Check before you light it
Three questions now against a civil penalty later.
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