Wood burning stove

A stove which is improperly used and maintained can lead to increased pollution and increased risk of fire, as well as costing more due to inefficiency.

Follow these tips to make your wood-burning stove safer, less polluting and more efficient

Only burn seasoned wood with a moisture content of 20% or below, or use lower-polluting wood pellets, looking for the Ready To Burn logo on any purchases. If you buy wood in larger quantities to season at home, follow the manufacturers’ instructions to do this.

Freshly-cut wood and that with a higher moisture content can cause greater heavy particle pollution and lead to the formation of tar, an extremely flammable substance which can start chimney fires. Treated wood can release carcinogenic fumes.

While it can be tempting to pick up wood from the garden o

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