The Countryside Alliance has written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following the closure of the government’s consultation on solid fuel burning, calling for urgent action to protect rural households’ access to log burners and wood-burning stoves. You can read the full letter to the Secretary of State here.
The intervention comes at a critical time for rural communities, as volatility in global energy markets, driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, continues to push up the cost of heating oil. Many off-grid households have seen prices rise sharply, placing significant pressure on already stretched rural budgets.
In its letter, the Alliance warns that restricting access to solid fuel appliances risks leaving rural families exposed to fuel poverty and energy insecurity. For many, particularly those not connected to the mains gas grid, log burners are not a lifestyle choice but an essential and reliable source of heat.
While the government’s recent £53 million heating oil support package has been welcomed as a recognition of the pressures facing off-grid households, the Alliance has made clear that it does not go far enough. Many rural homes rely on a mix of heating sources including LPG and solid fuel stoves.
Writing to the Secretary of State, Tim Bonner, Chief Executive at the Countryside Alliance, said:
“For many rural families, log burners and other solid fuel appliances are not a lifestyle choice, but an essential safeguard against exactly this kind of volatility. At a time when energy security has become a central political and economic concern, it would be deeply counterproductive to pursue policies that restrict access to one of the few heating options that remain affordable, flexible and within the control of the household.”
The Alliance also raised concerns that proposals to reduce emissions from domestic burning, while well intentioned, could have unintended consequences if they fail to take account of rural realities.
“Without a clear recognition of these realities, well-intentioned air quality measures risk placing a disproportionate burden on rural communities—effectively asking those with the fewest options to bear the greatest cost.”
The letter urges Defra to ensure that rural households are not disadvantaged by future policy decisions and that access to log burners and other solid fuel appliances is retained as part of a balanced and resilient rural energy mix.
This follows the Countryside Alliance’s formal response to the consultation on solid fuel burning, which highlighted the importance of maintaining access to a range of affordable and practical heating options for off-grid communities. You can read the full consultation response here.
The Alliance will continue to press the government to ensure that environmental policy is delivered in a way that reflects the realities of rural life and protects those most vulnerable to rising energy costs.