WOOD-BURNING STOVES: hidden costs and harms

Clean Air Starts at Home

<<Climate Action Newcastle researcher Luke Mortell digs deep into the research to highlight the gaps between misleading perceptions of woodstoves and the reality.>>

On cold winter evenings, the warm glow of a wood-burning stove can seem irresistible. The crackle and sense of comfort all feels so wholesome, natural, even environmentally friendly. In Newcastle, new installations have quietly risen in recent years, often by well-meaning households who care deeply about sustainability.

But there’s an uncomfortable truth behind the light: wood-burning is now one of the biggest sources of harmful air pollution in the UK. And here in Newcastle, most people who burn wood do so by choice, not necessity, often without realising the impact on their own health, their neighbours, and the city’s air.

Our friends, family and neighbours may be considering installing a wood stove – and they deserve all the facts. Please help us spread the word about the real cost.

Not So Cosy for Neighbours

Most wood-burning happens inside, behind closed doors, with pollution drifting out of hundreds of chimneys every winter. And while you can’t always see it, you are certainly breathing it.

Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) is composed of tiny particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, and always spikes in winter across urban areas (DEFRA, 2025). A major contributor is domestic wood smoke.

Photo

(Local photo of smoke/pollution in Gosforth or Jesmond )

These particles are linked to asthma, heart disease, premature births, dementia risk and severe impacts on local ecosystems.

Smoke doesn’t stay in your living room. It rises, drifts, then settles across gardens, streets and parks. Neighbours, including children, older residents, and those with asthma, will breathe it in. Pollution also settles on leaves, soils, and waterways, affecting birds, insects, lichens, and urban plant life.

A single poorly operated stove can affect dozens of nearby households and the surrounding ecosystem. Even the newest “eco-design” stoves release far more particulate pollution per hour than many modern vehicles.

Wood Stoves Will Hit Your Wallet

Many households assume that burning wood is a cheap alternative to gas or electricity. The reality is very different. Research by Impact on Urban Health and Action for Clean Air shows that stoves often cost significantly more, as demonstrated by this graphic in its report:

Figure 1: Equivalent Annualised Costs across all options. ASHP stands for ‘Air Source Heat Pump’. (Impact on Urban Health, 2023)

●       Heating just 20% of your home with a wood stove can increase annual heating costs by over 24% compared with a modern gas boiler.

●       Relying on a stove for most of your home can push costs above 50% more per year.

And the numbers don’t stop there. The price of well-seasoned wood, delivery fees, regular chimney cleaning, and the inherent energy lost through inefficient combustion all add up. Even “eco-design” stoves rarely make up the difference. In most cases, wood-burning is not a money-saving option, and could leave households paying far more for warmth than expected

Why “Natural” Doesn’t Mean Sustainable

Wood feels earthy, wholesome and renewable, but that doesn’t make burning it sustainable. The idea that stoves are “carbon neutral” overlooks the real-world emissions, fuel harvesting, and decades-long carbon payback time. In practice, burning wood releases a surge of CO₂ immediately, while the trees that replace it take years or even decades to absorb that carbon again (Sterman, 2022). “Natural” doesn’t always mean climate-friendly

Photo

(Wood being packaged and processed - show the industrial side behind the process)

Only around 8% of UK stove users burn wood because they have no other option. For the majority, it is a lifestyle choice - but one with real climate and health consequences.

Newcastle’s Smoke-Free Zones

Newcastle now has Smoke Control Areas covering much of the city. The council has strengthened guidance and enforcement and recently released a short explainer video on how the rules work and why they matter. https://fb.watch/DcblMWaQWr/

In smoke control areas, you can burn wood only in a DEFRA-approved appliance, and it must be clean, dry fuel. Even then, smoke that causes a nuisance can lead to enforcement action. DEFRA’s “Practical Guide” can be found here.

These changes are good news, but preventing new installations remains far more effective than trying to manage pollution after it's already being produced.

Think Before You Install - Local Action Starts Here

Newcastle’s air quality won’t improve through national policy alone. It starts on our streets and in our homes. So here’s what you can do:

1. Spread the word

Many people simply don’t know the impacts. Share this blog with neighbours, local WhatsApp groups, or in newsletters for your workplace/church/community (we have blogs of varying length that we can supply to them).

Schools are also a powerful way to communicate the risks to local children. The national Clean Air Hub provides free school lesson packs, assemblies, worksheets and activities that explain air pollution in a simple, empowering way. We’d be very happy to support local schools in using these or in adding Newcastle-specific content!

2. Choose cleaner heating

If you’re considering a wood-burning stove, pause. Look at heat pumps, modern electric heating, or high-efficiency gas systems. Think about the air you want to be breathing in your own home.

3. Support Clean Air Night (22 January 2026)

Join Climate Action Newcastle in raising awareness, especially in local council wards where installations are concentrated. Clean Air Night 2026.

4. Talk to your local councillors – and candidates before local elections

Ask Newcastle City Council to champion prevention, not just enforcement, and to join Action for Clean Air’s supporter network. The lead-up to local elections in May are a great time to raise this issue with ALL candidates, and ask then to declare their support for awareness-raising and greater preventative measures.

What You Can Do If You Already Have a Wood Stove

Not everyone can remove a stove straight away, but everyone can reduce its impact. If you already have a wood burner, you can:

·        Use only dry, “Ready to Burn” certified fuel

·        Avoid burning when air is still, cold or foggy (pollution lingers close to the ground)

·        Keep your chimney clean and your stove well-maintained

·        Never burn scrap wood, pallets, treated wood or waste

·        Only light it when you really need to. Make the stove an occasional supplement, not your main heat source

Alternatively, of course, you can just turn it into a very expensive plant holder, as some people have done once they learned the real impact!

Photo

(cartoon of a plant/flower in a wood-burning stove)

If you'd like local advice, we are more than happy to help you find the cleanest possible approach.

One City, One Atmosphere

Wood-burning might feel small and personal, but its effects are shared. We all breathe the same air. The choices we make in our living rooms shape the health of our neighbours, our children and our wildlife.

Cleaner air for Newcastle can start with a simple step: thinking twice before lighting or installing that fire.