Logs Direct helps clear air about wood burning

By Catapult PR

07 Dec 2023

Website
Charnwood Island III camberls.jpg.jpg

Wood fuel specialist Logs Direct is supporting the growing number of British homeowners doing nothing wrong by burning wood as fuel, and yet increasingly victimised by pressure groups.

Customers – particularly those in older age groups - have reported feeling threatened and alarmed by misinformation in the public domain and even communications that have urged homeowners to report their neighbours to the environmental health department, if they smell any wood burning.  The result has been that they have not been heating their homes.

For those in older generations – and those feeling vulnerable within their community – the real situation regarding woodburning is unclear.  Pressure is being applied on them despite there being nothing illegal about burning the right wood.  This is defined as that which carries an official Ready to Burn certification mark, having been through Defra testing, or that which has been seasoned correctly.  

The dilemma for those confused by all of this is whether to heat their home or suffer the cold. Many are afraid of the aggressive action that might occur, if anyone detects they are burning wood.  Woodburner sales increased significantly in the energy crisis, to give homeowners a means of coping financially. If afraid to now use this heating source, many may go without a source of heat.

The anti-woodburning campaigners also fail to recognise, or mention, that the CO2 generated by gas burning in actually far higher than that of woodburning – 0.210mg of CO2 per kWh for gas and just 0.024mg for Ready to Burn kiln dried logs.[i]

Much of the misinformation being spread about woodburning quotes old research studies, references non-British situations and does not present accurate facts. Nevertheless, it is causing worry and concern to many woodburner owners.

What is typically absent is any discussion about the difference between burning wet wood and Ready to Burn wood.  Broad-brush statements about ‘wood’ in general, offer no clarity as to where issues with woodburning actually lie.  

The call for the reporting of woodburning is likely to overburden environmental health departments. The majority of cases will relate to residents who are completely abiding with Clean Air regulations and operating fully within Defra and government laws.  Officers’ attention will be diverted from real environmental issues.

Studies that have suggested that woodburning is such an environmental issue include all forms of ‘woodburning’, including outdoor bonfires, gardeners’ fires and other, including industrial, outdoor fires.  Not understanding this then leads to all woodburning in indoor domestic situations being labelled as detrimental to health. This is despite indoor burning using ready to burn fuel and outdoor burning using wet, unseasoned and treated wood from building projects.

An independent study, conducted by Dr Josh Cottam and Dr Edward Mitchell, found that almost half of PM2.5 emissions in the UK, which were being categorised as coming from domestic burning, were actually coming from outdoor sources.  Outdoor, not indoor, burning sources constitute 46-51% of domestic PM 2.5 emissions in the UK.[ii]

Logs Direct is now stepping up to offer support and reassurance to those elderly customers who could become victims of the aggressive campaigning.  It says that, if this goes unchallenged, the result will be deaths this winter.  These will be deaths of innocent people who could have legally heated their homes, without causing the health issues being claimed.  

“Homeowners doing absolutely nothing wrong should not be subjected to this,” says Logs Direct’s sales director, Stephen Talbot.  “Elderly people respect their communities and worry what others think and feel.  They are reading these communications and suffering high levels of stress at the thought that they will be reported if any woodsmoke is detected.

“We are deep into winter and the danger is that elderly and confused people will be too afraid to stay warm. The misinformation being published is using general terms such as ‘wood’ and ‘woodburners’ without making it clear that the right wood – Ready to Burn or fully seasoned wood -  and modern woodburners, are not the issue.  It is ignorance over what to burn that is the problem.”

[i]
https://www.nottenergy.com/advice-and-tools/project-energy-cost-comparison

[ii] https://stoveindustryalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22-01-31-The-contribution-of-domestic-outdoor-burning-to-UK-particulate-matter-emissions.pdf

Enjoyed this? Read more from Catapult PR

Latest news

1

Three weekly domestic waste collection considered in plans Waste recycling Blackpool

Three weekly domestic waste collection considered in plans

01 Jul 2025

2

Graham Engineering confirms acquisition to a2e Industries Graham Engineering

Graham Engineering confirms acquisition to a2e Industries

01 Jul 2025

3

Training 2000 celebrate 'Good' rating by Ofsted Training 2000

Training 2000 celebrate 'Good' rating by Ofsted

01 Jul 2025

4

Fox Group acquires J Fisher and Sons Colin Fisher, Paul Fox CEO and Gary Fisher.

Fox Group acquires J Fisher and Sons

01 Jul 2025

5

Beever and Struthers strengthen leadership team with new partners Dean Curtis and Joe Diston

Beever and Struthers strengthen leadership team with new partners

01 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV123 July/August Launch Event
Lancashire Business View magazine launch
Networking
16 Jul 2025

LBV123 July/August Launch Event

Burnley

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – July
Chamber Logo1.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
02 Jul 2025 - 02 Jul 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – July

St John's Hospice, Slyne Road, Lancaster, LA2 6ST

08:00 - 10:00

The Marketing Metrics that Matter – July 4
LBV Hub Seminars
04 Jul 2025 - 04 Jul 2025

The Marketing Metrics that Matter – July 4

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

08:30 - 11:00

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase
unnamed (2).jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Jul 2025 - 09 Jul 2025

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase

Crow Wood Hotel, Burnley, BB12 0RT

09:30 - 16:00

Chamber Summer BBQ
LBV Hub Social
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

Chamber Summer BBQ

The Borough, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

17:30 - 20:00

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July
Longer July Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

North West Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880456273-4862066883-1-original.20241022-105445.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Oct 2025

North West Business Expo 2025

Bolton Stadium Hotel, Bolton, BL6 6SF

09:00 - 15:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin