Dear Valued customer – Woodsure have released the following statement regarding the sale of woodfuel in supermarkets:
The case for woodfuel
Woodsure has been made aware of a campaign being sent to retailers of firewood calling for them to stop the sale of wood fuels. We would like to thank our suppliers for bringing this to our attention and wanted to let you all know that we have taken action to contact the retailer in question. Woodsure and HETAS work with stakeholders like government, industry, consumers, Local Authorities, Fire and Rescue Services, and across the supply chain to promote the importance of the firewood sector in promoting cleaner safer burning of solid fuel, wood and biomass. Its important to understand that regulations point to cleaner burning, not to a ban on burning or appliances that utilise wood and biomass. The importance of domestic wood-burning cannot be underestimated during this current energy crisis and we are seeing an increase in demand for new appliances and wood fuel. We have witnessed a large increase in website searches across our websites and will continue to represent the sector in promoting cleaner safer use of wood, biomass and other solid fuels and appliances
Full statement to supermarket supply chain:
| HETAS and Woodsure have been working for many years to help people make cleaner and safer choices in the use of biomass and other solid fuels and associated technologies, such as wood-burners. Businesses like ours are at the forefront of pushing towards cleaner burning. We can already be certain from scientific research that using manufactured smokeless mineral fuels and dry wood fuel known as Ready to Burn and now legally required in England, drastically reduces the particulate emissions from domestic burning by around 80%. Legislation that enforces the use of Ready to Burn certified fuel and cleaner efficient stoves are helping to achieve safer burning, significantly reducing particle emissions from modern wood-burners. Every Ready to Burn fuel provider is helping to reduce the environmental impact of wood burning and emissions from solid fuels.
As with car use and other energy use, there are choices to be made around wood-burning and stove use. Everyone can choose to burn in a more environmentally responsible way by using the best quality dry wood fuel in modern cleaner burning appliances. Either or both of these choices considerably contribute to better air quality, reducing smoke to a minimum. Pollution levels in some local areas can be heavily impacted by unregulated outdoor burning so we are cautious about warning homeowners away from heating their homes, especially at a time where rising energy costs are making using central heating unaffordable for many. Regulatory changes are also driving effective improvement so it’s important that people can be confident to consider other options such as using wood-burners for room heating. We continue to support the industry as it moves towards cleaner burning with new stoves and appliances having to meet more stringent emissions regulations, and the introduction of legislation that enforces the use of only the cleanest burning fuels certified as such by the Defra-backed Ready to Burn Scheme. By using the right fuel in the right appliance, which is properly maintained, we will continue to reduce the impact of domestic combustion on air quality and the environment. The HETAS Cleaner Choice Product Approval Scheme is proving successful in working with manufacturers to drive consumers towards the cleanest burning biomass and solid fuel appliances. Products approved by the scheme are proven to go above and beyond in minimising harmful particle emissions, reducing the impact of their use on air quality and the environment. We all breathe the same air and we are passionately pursuing the changes needed to bring about the safest and most environmentally responsible methods possible for domestic burning. |
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