The UK ranks 101 out of 131 countries in terms of poor air quality (ranked from worst to best) according to the latest World Air Quality report in 2022. Domestic wood-burning is the biggest source of fine particle air pollution in the UK, contributing significantly to overall pollution.

Wood burning in UK homes can harm public health and has been linked to 2,500 deaths a year in the UK. Recent research highlighting domestic fires as a major source of toxic fine particle pollution (PM2.5) has also estimated that treating health impacts linked to this pollution (like asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and cardiovascular events) costs the NHS about £54 million per year. Wood burning is therefore linked to thousands of new serious illnesses yearly, with most wood burning considered unnecessary.