You’ve probably heard of The Clean Air Act or are aware of Smoked Controlled Areas throughout the UK, but what does this really mean for you? And how can you be sure what fuel you can use in these areas? Here’s everything you need to know about The Clean Air Act and Smokeless Fuel...
In 1952, London was a picture of smog and poor air quality. This was caused by stationary high-pressure systems settling over Europe, wind speeds fell and a temperature inversion was created.
An inversion is a thin layer of atmosphere where the normal decrease in temperature does not occur with an increase in altitude. Instead, temperature increases with height creating a ‘lid’ that basically traps pollutants below the inversion. Any smoke created in London at this time was then being trapped below this layer, creating the ‘Great Smog’.
At this point, the government were forced to take action, safeguarding against similar incidents in the future. The first recommendation suggested was a ‘Clean Air Act’ that would provide clear legislation.
The Act set out clear criteria for fuels which could be burnt and those that could not in new ‘Smoke Controlled Areas.’ This was placed not only on industrial sectors but also extended to domestic properties.
The Clean Air Act of 1956 was seen in both the UK and abroad as an important example of environmental legislation, many believe that it was the start of the modern-day environmental movement and is still very much in place today.
The objective of the Clean Air Act is to control the emissions of smoke, dust and grit into the atmosphere. At Coal Hut, our smokeless fuels are ideal products for these smoke control areas. All smokeless products including; Homefire, Wonderco, Glolite, Kiln Dried Hardwood Logs & Heat Logs meet the criteria which fuels must adhere to as part of the latest consolidated Clean Air Act 1993.
When using Coal Hut’s smokeless fuels, you can have full confidence that we have taken every action to protect the environment with our low CO2 emission products. To find out if you are in a Smoke Control Area please visit www.smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk or to order your smokeless fuel today visit https://coalhut.com/smokeless.