If you have a multi-fuel stove at home, you may wonder if you can burn coal. Coal has traditionally been a popular fuel choice for stoves and open fires in the UK. However, due to air pollution and health concerns, regulations on selling traditional house coal have recently changed.

So, what types of coal are there, and what are the rules around using coal in your stove now? Read on to find out more.

What is house coal?

House coal, or bituminous coal, is the traditional type used in multi-fuel stoves and open fires for decades. It’s a natural mineral mined from coal seams, a fossil fuel formed over millions of years from plant matter.

House coal varies in look and performance—it can be shiny and black or dull and black. The coal may come in small nuts, grains, or large lumps you’ll need to break up. When burnt, house coal gives off a bright yellow flame and produces a lot of smoke.

Although cheap and easily accessible, house coal has some significant downsides. As a high-sulphur and high-smoke fuel, it causes more air pollution than cleaner alternatives when burned.

The dangers of burning house coal

Burning house coal, especially in inefficient appliances, releases a hazardous cocktail of air pollutants. These include:

  • Delicate particulate matter (PM2.5) – Tiny inhalable particles that penetrate deep into the lungs. It can cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
  • Sulphur dioxide – Irritates the respiratory system. Worsens asthma. Contributes to acid rain.
  • Nitrogen oxides- A group of gases that contribute to air pollution. Worsen symptoms in people with asthma.
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – Evaporating organic chemicals. Some cause cancer.
  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)- Cancer-causing chemicals from incomplete combustion.

In urban areas where solid fuel burning is common, these pollutants accumulate and reach dangerous levels. Air pollution leads to thousands of premature deaths each year in the UK.

Exposure to indoor air pollution from an open fire or inefficient stove can also negatively impact health, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.

What alternatives to house coal are there?

Thankfully, there are cleaner and more efficient alternatives to burning dirty house coal that you can use in a multi-fuel stove instead:

Manufactured smokeless fuels

Smokeless fuels are man-made from processed coal dust and other additives. Due to their manufacturing process, they produce much less smoke and sulphur emissions than house coal when burned.

Look for the ‘Ready to Burn’ certification scheme logo on smokeless fuel packaging. This independent certification guarantees low smoke emissions and means the fuel can be used immediately without further processing.

Untreated, dry wood

Using untreated, dry wood logs in a multi-fuel stove is another lower-pollution option than house coal. Hardwoods like oak, birch and beech give the best heat output and burn more cleanly and efficiently in stoves.

Look for the ‘Woodsure Ready to Burn’ logo when buying wood fuel. This shows the moisture content is 20% or less, meaning you can use it in your stove immediately for reduced emissions.

Other solid biofuels

You could try compressed wood pellets or briquettes in your multi-fuel stove as an alternative sustainable biofuel. Wood pellets produce less smoke and particulate emissions than house coal. However, they don’t generate as much heat, so you may need more fuel.

Is house coal still available?

From May 2023, it has been illegal for coal merchants to sell house coal for domestic use in England. This ban does not currently apply in Scotland or Wales.

The only exception is untreated house coal from a mine in the Forest of Dean, which can still be sold locally due to its cultural heritage.

While you may be able to source some house coal from certain places, it’s best not to use this polluting fuel for home heating due to its impacts on air quality and health.

What is smokeless coal?

You may have heard the term ‘smokeless coal’ and wondered if this type of coal is allowed in stoves. Smokeless coal refers to manufactured smokeless fuels (MSFs) rather than coal.

MSFs blend processed coal dust with other ingredients, such as petroleum coke and binding agents. They are designed to produce much less smoke than raw house coal.

On the packaging, smokeless fuels may be referred to as grades A, B, or C. Grade A smokeless fuels give off the least amount of smoke, followed by Grade B and Grade C.

Look for the ‘Ready to Burn’ certification on MSF bags from reputable brands. This shows they meet legal smoke emissions limits for immediate use in multi-fuel stoves and open fires.

So, in summary, smokeless coal isn’t a variety of coal but a cleaner processed fuel alternative to polluting house coal.

Why should you only use wood or smokeless coal in a multi-fuel stove?

Portway Arundel XL Multi-Fuel Stove
Portway Arundel XL Multi-Fuel Stove

There are a few key reasons why smokeless manufactured fuels are now recommended over house coal for use in multi-fuel stoves:

  • Legality: It’s currently illegal for retailers to sell house coal for domestic burning in England, so you may struggle to source this fuel open anyway.
  • Air quality: When burned, smokeless fuels release much lower sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and dangerous particles, reducing air pollution.
  • Stove efficiency: MSFs provide more heat and burn more efficiently than smoky house coal, saving you money on fuel costs.
  • Health impacts: Using smokeless fuels creates less indoor and outdoor air pollution, protecting health. Particularly important for vulnerable groups.

So, opting for smokeless manufactured fuels over raw house coal in your stove is better for complying with the law, the environment, your pocket, and your health. It’s a winning switch.

Why is house coal banned in England?

House coal has now been banned outright for sale to households in England due to its disproportionately negative impacts on air quality when burned in home stoves and fires.

Some key reasons behind the English house coal ban are:

  • House coal produces five times more smoke and double the sulphur dioxide emissions of cleaner smokeless fuels.
  • Air pollution may contribute to 36,000 early deaths per year in the UK.
  • 80% of people in urban areas are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution.
  • Children, the elderly and those with health conditions are most at risk from air pollution and smoke exposure.

So, in summary, popular but dirty house coal has been phased out for domestic sale in England to combat dangerous levels of urban air pollution and associated health impacts.

Alternative Ready-to-Burn-certified fuels like dry wood and smokeless coal are now recommended for use in multi-fuel stoves instead as cleaner options.

Can you use house coal anywhere in the UK?

The ban on retailers selling house coal to households only applies in England. So, theoretically, you can still purchase and use untreated bituminous house coal in certain parts of the UK.

House coal is available directly from approved coal merchants in Scotland and Wales. Both nations are also taking action to reduce domestic solid fuel emissions.

In Northern Ireland, plans are also underway to legislate for a ban on house coal sales, but no timeframe is fixed yet.

Additionally, raw bituminous coal extracted at a mine in the Forest of Dean area can still be sold locally under cultural heritage exemptions. It's also permitted to burn house coal in stoves installed on narrowboats.

However, even where house coal sales continue, avoiding this polluting fuel at home is advisable. Switch to cleaner alternatives like dry wood or smokeless fuels rated ‘Ready to Burn’ wherever possible to reduce your impact on air quality.

Check if any voluntary or statutory smoke control zones apply in your local area. Only authorised fuels meeting strict smoke emission standards can be burned in smoke control areas.

While sourcing and using untreated house coal in stoves remains possible in certain regions, it’s being phased out across Britain. Even where it’s still available, cleaner fuel options are the wise eco-choice for your health - and the health of your community, too.