This Thursday 22 January 2026 is Clean Air Night, when we will be helping to spark a conversation about the health harms of air pollution from wood burning in Knowsley.
Did you know?
Wood burning is the most polluting way to heat your home, contributing to serious health conditions for people across the UK and cutting lives short. Even homes with newer “Ecodesign” wood burners are three times more polluted than those without. And burning wood doesn’t just pollute your home – it pollutes your local community and harms the health of your neighbours.
New research shows that if we stopped burning wood where another heat source is available, we could avoid more than 1,500 premature deaths in the UK each year, save the NHS over £54 million in healthcare costs (which is the equivalent of 1.5 million GP appointments) and prevent £164 million wider productivity costs to the UK economy annually.
Wood burning produces fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5), which enters your bloodstream when inhaled and can cause heart and lung disease, as well as increasing your risk of diabetes and dementia.
Keep it clean
Most areas of Knowsley are smoke control areas. This helps keep our air clean, prevent pollution and protect the health of you, your family and the wider community.
In a smoke control area, you must only burn authorised fuels or use an exempt appliance. Details of this can be found at Authorised/Certified Fuels for England – Clean Air Act Data Entry System and Exempt Appliances – Clean Air Act Data Entry System.
Outside a smoke control area, whilst there is no specific restriction on smoke from the chimney, it can be classed as a statutory nuisance if proven to be affecting your neighbours. Therefore, to improve air quality and reduce the risk of causing a nuisance, residents are advised to use a Defra-exempt appliance and/or burn authorised fuels, wherever they live.
Under the Clean Air Act 1993 you could receive a £300 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) if you burn unauthorised fuel or use a non-exempt appliance. Failure to pay the FPN could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.
Burning money
With energy prices rising, people across the UK are looking for alternative ways to heat their homes. But research shows that if your house is connected to the energy grid, it is almost always more expensive to heat your home using a wood burner or open fire rather than central heating.
Supporting Clean Air Night
Clean Air Night is an opportunity to learn the facts about wood burning and share what you’ve learned with your friends, family and community to ensure everyone can make informed decisions about how to heat their homes.
We all want to stay warm this winter, but cosiness shouldn’t cost our health. This Clean Air Night share the facts about wood burning with your friends and family to protect everyone’s health.
Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: “Air pollution impacts the health and well-being of everyone, particularly children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma. Harmful smoke and pollutants in the air can aggravate breathing difficulties, trigger asthma attacks, and contribute to long-term health problems like heart disease and lung cancer. By reducing smoke and other air pollutants, we can create a healthier environment for our community and protect our most vulnerable residents.
Visit cleanairhub.org.uk to find out more and join the conversation on #CleanAirNight
Report illegal burning to Environmental.health@knowsley.gov.uk
Or learn more by visiting our website at Air pollution and air quality | Knowsley Council