Call for ban on log burners and wood burner fireplaces in homes
Banning solid fuels like wood and log burners in UK homes could save 1,500 lives a year and a staggering £54m in NHS funding, a report has claimed. Environmental consultancy firm Ricardo has called for more regulation around the use of solid fuel burners in homes, such as wood burners and log fireplaces, which it says is linked to heart problems, lung disease, strokes, cancer, and more.
TL;DR
- A report claims banning solid fuels like wood and log burners in UK homes could save 1,500 lives and £54 million in NHS funding annually.
- Environmental consultancy firm Ricardo has called for more regulation, linking domestic burning to heart problems, lung disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and asthma.
- Domestic burning is identified as a significant source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution.
- Stopping all non-essential domestic burning could save up to £54 million in healthcare costs and £164 million in productivity costs each year.
- The UK Government has stated it will consult on measures to reduce the environmental impact of domestic burning and has tightened targets for PM2.5 reduction.