Policy

Gas cooking is a significant source of indoor air pollution linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke and other serious health effects.¹ Research² led by CLASP concluded that approximately 36 million people in the United Kingdom (UK) may be exposed to indoor air pollution levels from their gas hobs and ovens that exceed outdoor legal limits of pollutants.

There is currently no policy framework or set of measures aimed at discouraging UK consumers from buying gas hobs or encouraging sales of electric hobs. This is despite the documented health and climate impacts of gas cooking and the wide availability of electric hobs.

This paper is the first of its kind in the UK, advocating for a strategically managed transition from gas to electric cooking. The comprehensive package of policies and measures for government and across industries will help the public escape the unhealthy dependence on natural gas for cooking, reduce consumer exposure to future gas price volatility, and avoid additional long-term costs linked to partial or delayed home decarbonisation. It further recommends targeted support to ensure that cleaner, more efficient electric appliances - particularly induction hobs - become the accessible and affordable standard across all households.

1. Pan H, Jarvis D, Potts J, Casas L, Nowak D, Heinrich J, Aymerich JG, Urrutia I, Martinez-Moratalla J, Gullón JA, Pereira-Vega A, Raherison C, Chanoine S, Demoly P, Leynaert B, Gislason T, Probst N, Abramson MJ, Jõgi R, Norbäck D, Sigsgaard T, Olivieri M, Svanes C, Fuertes E. (2024) Gas cooking indoors and respiratory symptoms in the ECRHS cohort. Int J Hyg Environ Health. Mar;256:114310. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114310. Epub 2024 Jan 6. PMID: 38183794.
2. Blair, H,. Kearney, N., Pricop, C. & Scholand, M. (2023) Exposing the Public Health Impacts of Cooking with Gas in the UK, CLASP and European Public Health Alliance, https://www.clasp.ngo/cook-cleaner-europe/

Wood burning in our homes is a key cause of air pollution and has significant impacts both on people’s health and the environment. Stopping the burning of wood and solid fuels in stoves and open fires requires a range of policies and measures from central and local government and industry. 

Domestic burning in the home is now the largest source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the UK, yet the proportion of people who burn is very small. Not only can PM2.5 cause cardiovascular conditions, respiratory diseases and lung cancer, but the increasing demand for wood fuel is damaging carbon sinks, contributing to climate change and
biodiversity loss, and is costing most householders more money than alternative heat sources would.¹ By focusing on increasing public awareness, implementing a phase out of domestic burning by 2030 is both aspirational and achievable.

Through desk research and structured interviews with expert stakeholders in the air pollution and heating sectors, we have developed a mix of policy recommendations that, implemented together, would phase out domestic burning across England and stem the growth of this issue. In our view, the latest this mix of approaches, policies and laws should take full effect is by 2030, though given the dire health effects of wood burning and the imperative to stop the build-up of newly installed stoves, it is not only possible but highly desirable to implement them sooner.

1. Global Action Plan, Relight my fire? Investigating the true cost of wood burning, October 2023