Final call to complete a survey to help understand fuel burning habits locally
20 January 2025
A survey that aims to gain a better understanding of the impact of fuel burning on air quality and explore any potential links to health conditions closes in less than two weeks.
Residents throughout West Northamptonshire who use solid fuels in open fires, burners, or stoves are invited to participate in the government-funded study. Solid fuel can include things such as coffee logs, wood, briquettes, coal and there is little information available locally on the types of burners people use, the kind of fuel they burn, and how often they’re used.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has been successful in bidding for Government funding so it can work with residents to understand the impacts of solid fuel burners in the home. With the increased popularity of solid fuel burners alongside a potential link with exacerbating existing health issues such as asthma and other lung conditions, the Council wants to see if there are any links between what we burn and the impacts on our most vulnerable adults and children.
Whilst accepting that items such as wood burners are now part of a lifestyle choice for some and can be an essential way of heating and cooking in the home for others, this funding will enable the Council to gather information to help people to make more informed decisions on how they heat their homes and cook. Particulate Matter (PM), which is small particles about the width of a human hair, are released when fuel is burnt.
The work also forms part of a wider range of actions being progressed to improve air quality across the area and raise public awareness in relation to the type of fuel and how and where burners are used.
People who complete the survey will have the option to provide their details to enter a draw to win a bespoke Better Burning bundle, these will be stored separately to ensure that responses remain anonymous. Items in the bundle could include a stove thermometer, stove fan or a supply of compliant fuel.
The survey closes on Friday, 31 January