What Is Ready to Burn?

Ready to Burn is a UK certification for wood fuel (both hardwood and softwood) dried to under 20% moisture, plus some composite fuels that meet emission limits.

If you're buying small quantities of firewood in England, the fuel you buy must be Ready to Burn certified by law.

Why was Ready to Burn implemented?

Dry fuel produces far less PM2.5 pollution - fine particles that can pass through the lungs and into the bloodstream. Domestic wood burning had become a significant source of urban air pollution, with wet wood and house coal identified as culprits. Burning dry fuel means cleaner air and less pollution, and fine particulate emissions have been linked to a variety of negative health effects.

Who manages the Ready to Burn scheme?

The Ready to Burn scheme is managed by Woodsure and HETAS. Woodsure handles wood fuel and logs; HETAS handles composite and manufactured fuels.

Launched in May 2021 alongside the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, it was introduced to reduce domestic burning emissions from wet wood and house coal. Traditional house coal sales were banned outright from May 2023.

How can I check if I'm buying Ready to Burn fuel?

All the suppliers we list are Ready to Burn certified. If you're buying elsewhere, you can check whether your supplier is certified on the Woodsure website.

The packaging should display:

• A Ready to Burn logo like the one at the top of this article
• A certification number that can be verified on Woodsure
• The supplier's name

Suppliers will often display their certification PDF on their website too. If you want belt-and-braces verification once the wood arrives, a moisture meter will confirm you've got what you paid for.

Can I still season logs myself?

Yes - non-Ready to Burn wood fuel can be purchased without certification above 2m³ in quantity, so that buyers with the capacity to store and season logs themselves can still stock up on bulk "green" logs.

What should I never burn?

Regardless of whether wood is certified, some things should never go in your stove or fireplace:

• Treated, painted or varnished wood
• MDF, chipboard or plywood
• Household waste, plastics or packaging
• Pallets (often chemically treated)
• Wet or unseasoned wood in an open fire

These release toxic fumes, damage your stove and flue, and produce pollution well beyond what any regulation targets.

How is Ready to Burn enforced?

Enforcement focuses on suppliers, who face inspections and can be fined by Trading Standards for selling non-compliant fuel. Homeowners aren't typically prosecuted for burning uncertified wood at home - but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Wet wood emits significantly more pollution and damages your stove and flue over time.

What about the rest of the UK?

Ready to Burn regulations only apply in England, however they still provide a good quality indicator wherever you live in the UK. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate arrangements.

Does Ready to Burn cost more?

Wood certified as Ready to Burn typically has a higher upfront cost, due to the additional time and energy spent to meet the certification standards. But it works out cheaper in practice.

Properly dried wood with lower moisture content burns hotter and more efficiently, producing more heat and less smoke. Fewer particulates and volatile organic compounds are released during combustion, meaning cleaner air for you and your neighbours. Less energy is wasted evaporating moisture that would otherwise be trapped in under-seasoned logs, so you get more usable heat per cubic metre. Ready to Burn wood maximises the heat output of a stove or fireplace, providing better value for money.

Buying kiln-dried logs also eliminates the time spent processing wood yourself. Unseasoned logs require splitting, stacking and many months of seasoning – a process that takes foresight and space most households don't have.

Why buy Ready to Burn beyond the price?

Ultimately, you'll get a cleaner burn: less smoke and pollution for you and your neighbours, less creosote buildup in your flue and on your stove glass, and less faffing around with wet, mucky logs.

How we can help save costs

Firewood prices are seasonal, with the best time to buy typically in summer when heating demand is low. Our price monitoring and email alerts help you find the best deals across kiln-dried firewood.

In summary

• Ready to Burn certifies wood fuel under 20% moisture, plus emission-compliant manufactured fuels.
• It's been legally required in England for sales under 2m³ since May 2021.
• Look for the logo, certification number and supplier name on packaging.
• Verify suppliers via Woodsure's public directory.
• Bulk buyers can still season their own, but must manage the moisture themselves.
• Beyond the law, dry wood means cleaner burns, less smoke, and better value for money.

The Ready to Burn logo is the simplest quality signal you can look for when you're shopping for firewood.