A firewood supplier in St Austell has claimed a government run scheme is not being effectively ‘policed’, leading to loss of business for those following the rules.

The supplier, who wished to remain anonymous, has said the government’s ‘Ready to Burn’ scheme, which is administered by Woodsure, has left them out of pocket while uncertified competitors “get away” with supplying sub-standard, cheaper firewood.

They said: “This is our third year being part of the Woodsure scheme. I can see the benefits of the scheme but we have to pay in to it which has an impact on what price we can sell our wood for. Wood should have a moisture content of less than 20 per cent, but we have seen others in our area with firewood at a much higher level than that. They are undercutting us and we have lost major contracts as a result. It just isn’t fair.

“We have contacted the council, who are supposed to be the ones policing, it but when I spoke to them they didn’t seem to know anything about it.”

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)Ready to Burn certification scheme is run by HETAS and Woodsure, both non-profit organisations supporting cleaner and safer choices for the use of biomass and other solid fuels, appliances and associated technologies.

Woodsure has been championing the use of less polluting dry wood which is verified by its independent inspectors as having a moisture content of 20 per cent or less, meaning it burns with less smoke than wetter wood. 

Helen Bentley-Fox, director of Woodsure, explained: “As a not-for-profit which strives to raise the quality of wood fuel, our endeavours remain focused on a future where air quality inside and outside the home is upheld and where consumers can trust the quality of fuel they purchase. Coupled with this is our desire for those businesses which are doing the right thing by our planet and compliant with legislative requirements to be recognised and rewarded for their commitment to such quality. 

“In addition to operating our independent wood fuel quality assurance scheme, Woodsure administers the government’s Ready to Burn scheme for firewood; a scheme which certifies suppliers of firewood who meet the legislative requirements of The Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020. As such, we will continue to work closely with government, certified suppliers and local authorities to ensure the scheme’s success and protect its integrity. 

“Consumers can easily search for hundreds of certified suppliers of firewood with no more than 20 per cent moisture content at readytoburn.org and we strongly urge them to always look for the Ready To Burn logo when purchasing firewood for immediate use.”

A Cornwall Council spokesperson responded, saying they would consider any non-compliance concerns: “The Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020 means that to reduce air pollution businesses can only sell solid fuel such as firewood for use in homes if the fuel has a low moisture content.

“Since May 2021 our Trading Standards team has enforced these laws, which are overseen by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the certification body, Woodsure. 

“Complaints relating to non-compliant businesses are considered by our team and will be investigated where resources allow. We will also consider any concerns raised by Woodsure about specific operators in our area. 

“In line with our enforcement policy, our officers will always look to provide advice and guidance in the first instance to support local businesses to comply with the law.”

• For more information about the scheme and how to get involved visit www.woodsure.co.uk/schemes