# Smoke Control Checker

> Smoke control area rules and checker: open fire, DEFRA-exempt stove or neither, and which fuels are legal under the Clean Air Act 1993. House coal sales ended 2023.

## Key facts

- 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 a civil financial penalty of between £175 and £300 for chimney smoke in a smoke control area, without going to court; Wales joined the same regime on 31 July 2025.
- 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.

## Key pages

- [Smoke control area rules: can I burn this here?](https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/): the main tool, answer above the fold.
- [Smokeless zones by postcode: how to check your address](https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/smoke-control-areas-explained/): Check smokeless zones by postcode: what a smoke control area is under the Clean Air Act 1993, what councils publish, the penalties, and how to check your address.
- [Smoke exempt stoves: what DEFRA exempt means and how to check](https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/defra-exempt-stoves/): 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.
- [DEFRA approved fuel: the authorised smokeless fuels for an open fire](https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/authorised-smokeless-fuels/): 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.
- [Will smokeless coal be banned in the UK? What the law says](https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/will-smokeless-coal-be-banned/): Smokeless coal is not banned. England's 2020 fuel rules ended house coal sales on 1 May 2023 and kept anthracite and certified smokeless fuels on sale. What the law says.
- [What you can legally burn in a smoke control area in England](https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/#data): original data table, updated 2026-08-14.
- [Full site content as markdown](https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/llms-full.txt)

## Data

- What you can legally burn in a smoke control area in England. Methodology: 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 statutory minimum and maximum in Schedule 1A to the Clean Air Act 1993 and the maximum fine stated in gov.uk guidance; how readily individual councils use the power varies.
- Last updated: 2026-08-14. Every figure cites its source inline.
- Source: gov.uk, smoke control area rules: https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules
- Source: DEFRA, exempt appliances and authorised fuels lists: https://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/
- Source: Clean Air Act 1993: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1993/11/contents
- Source: Environment Act 2021, Schedule 12 (smoke control in England): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/30/schedule/12/enacted
- Source: Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1095/contents/made
- Source: Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Act 2024 (Wales joined the Schedule 1A penalty regime on 31 July 2025): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asc/2024/2/contents
- Source: gov.uk, find your local council: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

## Citation

Cite as: "What you can legally burn in a smoke control area in England", Smoke Control Checker, https://smokecontrolchecker.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14).

## About

- Smoke Control Checker is an information site. 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.
- Operated by smokecontrolchecker.co.uk. Contact: enquiries@smokecontrolchecker.co.uk