New open fire in London?

[Bluegreengrey]

We’ve got a fireplace in our sitting room but the chimney was removed by the previous owner. We were thinking about getting an external flue fitted in order to burn smokeless fuel in there. We’re in London so that’s our only option although I do know people nearby who burn logs and there’s no comeback.

While phoning round, someone told me that open fires were going to be banned within the M25 from 2022. Is this true? Should we forget about it? Is smokeless fuel rubbish anyway? Should we get a stove instead? So many questions!

New regulations tend to apply to installations after the date (but I don’t know anything about these in 2022).

We’re in London too and use smokeless fuel. It’s really good in the sense that it’s easy to put on and one log burns for a couple of hours. The only downside is that it doesn’t have the lovely smell of burning wood.

please not an open fire. 20% efficient as opposed to 80% for a logburner.

We had an open fire until recently but it was so inefficient. You are really just burning stuff for atmosphere rather than heat.

Just had a wood burning stove fitted and had the chimney lined with an internal flue - the difference is amazing. The guy who fitted the wood burner now refuses to fit flues for open fires as he said they are dangerous and inefficient.

Yes, we’ve got gas central heating. The open fire is for the lovely atmosphere only.

open fires are something that has to go, along with patio heaters and similar wasteful shit.

Yes the man I spoke to also mentioned the 20% statistic. But we wouldn't be burning it for heat, just for atmosphere like JoJo. Maybe a bit too eco unfriendly overall.

A suggestion. You could buy an electric log burning stove for the atmosphere.

You burning it for atmosphere rather than heat is kinda the problem...

As a fellow breather of London air - please don't.

Get something like this
www.aarrow-stove-specialist.co.uk/aarrow-ecoburn-5-plus-grey-woodburning-stove.html
All the pleasure of an open fire - looks, sounds, a hint of smell
but much less pollution and lower wood use

add one of these on top
www.stovesupermarket.co.uk/products/valiant-premium-4-stove-fan

and you'll have a lovely room with no smoke damage and complying with the regs

Thanks all. Genuinely open to opinions and suggestions so this is helpful.

I admit, if money was no object and my fireplace was big enough I really covet this
morsoe.com/en/product/indoor/wood-burning-stove/morso-6643-with-log-storage

best of all worlds

( I already have an aarrow that is 10 years old and meets my needs perfectly for cuddly warmth when I do not want to ramp the heating up )

consult.defra.gov.uk/airquality/domestic-burning-of-wood-and-coal/

This might be of interest.

Jojo
But that consultation - along with most other domestic legislation went by the wayside in 2019

It was more to share some stats re smokeless fuel.

but "smokeless fuel" is still bilge
because creating things to burn is unsustainable

see the abomination that is the Drax power station

sycamore prunings = good
imported chips from canada = bad

Electric stoves have come on in leaps and bounds in the past few years, and the top of the range ones look very realistic. If you are just going for the look, I would really recommend one of these.
We live rurally and have oil ch and a multi fuel stove, which are essential for warmth, however, caring for a real stove does take some effort, and then you need to store the fuel. I sometimes wish, when it's cold, that I could just turn the fire on, rather than clean out the ashes, bring in more kindling, logs and coal, sweep the hearth etc etc.