Leisure and living: Keeping home fires burning

SHROUDED in a thick veil of smog that clogged the air and choked its people, Edinburgh's nickname of Auld Reekie was certainly appropriate.

In years gone by, chimneys across the city pumped out smoke from coal fires, industrial fumes clouded the skies and the reek not only blackened buildings but also caused sickness and even death.

Thanks to tough smoke control laws and a trend towards "clean" gas and electric heating, the skies above Edinburgh gradually cleared.

No-one, though, banked on how soon we'd be knocking into boarded-up fireplaces to reinstate them or snapping up wood-burning stoves.

Today, business at Edinburgh fireplace and stove retailers - and chimney sweeps - is booming. A new stove specialist is about to open in the city, just one of a rash of fireplace experts to have sprung up in recent years.

Bonk & Co, established in Inverness more tha three decades ago, will open a new Holyrood outlet, selling stoves that appear suspended from the ceiling, traditional ones, hi-tech contemporary versions and multi-fuel ones that burn wood and coal.

But fears are growing that some may be unwittingly fuelling a return to the Capital's smoky Auld Reekie past.

Last year, city council environmental staff handled 156 calls concerning smoking chimneys. So far this year, there have been 74 calls - that's before the winter months begin to bite.

"It's important to remind people about the fuels they can't burn to heat their homes," says councillor Robert Aldridge, environment leader. "Our focus is all about educating people, but if necessary we will take enforcement action."

Laws designed to clear up the city's air were gradually introduced in the 1950s. By 1995 Edinburgh had been declared a "Smoke Control Area".

It means that only smokeless fuel can be used in an open fire. And wood burning or multi-fuel stoves must carry a government Defra pass mark.

But as gas and electricity prices spiral - yesterday British Gas confirmed an average seven per cent price rise - there are concerns that cost-conscious families might be tempted to use whatever they can find to heat their homes.

Alex Dolby, whose grandfather William founded Bonk and Co. in 1975, says: "If you want to install a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove, then smoke emissions are definitely something you must think about.

"Basically, you must fit a Defra-approved stove."

Defra-approved appliances can be more expensive than ordinary stoves however. And while Alex agrees there may be a temptation to use lower-quality fuels to save money, he points out that they could affect the stove's performance.

Under the Clean Air Act, it is an offence to emit smoke in a smoke control area. It's also an offence to buy "unauthorised fuel" unless for use in an exempt, Defra-approved, appliance.The current maximum fine is 1000 per offence.

But there is confusion around what is and isn't allowed. And some city buildings, says Kirk McLenaghan, owner of Auld Reekie Chimney Sweeps, are even exempt from the rules.

"In some cases the fumes from smokeless fuels are actually corrosive to the flue lining systems. Householders need to check where they stand."

Nigel Miller, director of Firegroup in Stenhouse Mill Wynd, which is Scotland's largest fireplace showroom, says the onus is on individuals to take responsibility.

"It's very difficult to police," he adds. "Someone can buy a Defra-approved stove and then burn unseasoned wood on it, which means it doesn't work as well. Then there are some excellent products available which are a higher standard than Defra requires but because they don't have the right certificate, they're regarded as not appropriate.

"There's a lot of confusion."

• For further details of smoke control regulations, visit www.smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk