The burning of wood and coal in homes contributes to almost 2,500 deaths a year in the UK, analysis has found. Stopping unnecessary burning would save the NHS more than £54m a year, the experts concluded.
Wood-burning stoves and open fires are one the biggest sources of small pollution particles, which cause heart and lung disease, and their use has risen in recent years. The report also links this toxic air pollution to 3,700 cases of diabetes and 1,500 cases of asthma a year, although the health impacts are likely to be underestimated.
More than 90% of people have other sources of heating and only about 10% of people say they burn at home out of necessity. Many use the stoves and fires for their aesthetic appeal.
The analysis estimated the impact of extending and enforcing existing smoke control area regulations but found this would prevent only about 320 deaths a year and cut healthcare costs by about £11m. Recent research found 15,000 complaints were made to local authorities about wood burning in the past year but only 24 fines were issued.
“We all need to stay warm this winter [but] an open fire or wood-burning stove is the most polluting way to heat a home,” said Larissa Lockwood, at the charity Global Action Plan, which commissioned the analysis alongside Hertfordshire county council. “Air pollution from wood-burning stoves is cutting lives short and putting people in hospital – the health burden on the British public is simply too big to ignore.”
Lockwood said the government needed to strengthen the powers of local authorities, provide clear guidance to the public on the health harms of burning wood and other solid fuels at home and help those in need to insulate their homes and install cleaner heating.
Dr Abi Whitehouse, a respiratory children’s doctor in east London, said: “The smoke and fine particles released by wood-burning stoves can worsen asthma symptoms, trigger attacks, and contribute to long-term respiratory issues, consequences that are entirely preventable with cleaner heating choices. It’s not just our own homes that will be impacted, but the air that makes it into the homes of our neighbours as well.”
The analysis, conducted by Ricardo, a leading environmental consultancy, is likely to underestimate the health damage caused as it is based on the level of outdoor air pollution resulting from solid fuel-burning. “The exposure impact indoors is likely to be significantly higher, increasing ill-health potential,” the report said.
“There is no safe level of air pollution,” the report said. “Fine particulate matter released during combustion has the ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, affecting every organ in the body.”
The analysis aligns with other research, including a recent study from New Zealand that found that air pollution from wood burning and gas cooking imposed large costs on healthcare systems and the economy.
A 2023 study found £800 a year in health and economic damage for each wood burner used in London. Action to cut the air pollution from the burning of wood and other solid fuels in local communities has been shown to improve the health of both children and adults in several recent studies.
The Conservative government promised in 2023 to tighten the limits that new stoves in smoke control areas must meet, reducing the limit from 5g of smoke hour to a maximum of 3g. However, no legislation has yet been introduced.
A government spokesperson said: “Air pollution is a public health issue. As set out in our NHS 10 year plan, we are committed to reducing emissions from domestic burning to protect public health and local communities.” The government is considering the options for reducing emissions from domestic burning and a revised plan will be published in due course.
About 95% of indoor burners used in the UK are fuelled by wood, or wood plus coal, and most small particle pollution comes from wood burning. Even government approved “eco” wood burners produce 450 times more pollution than gas heating, according to a report by England’s chief medical officer in 2022. It is also almost always more expensive to heat homes using wood burners or open fires compared with central heating, unless the home is off-grid.
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