While a lot of new build houses constructed since 2000 don’t have a fireplace or a chimney, while others will have had their fireplace plastered over to make more room in their lounge, a lot of people especially older people still use traditional fireplace coal or log burners.

In fact, solid fuel fireplaces have seen a bit of a renaissance as even younger people install them in their houses to add a cosy, crackling way to heat their homes in the tough winter months without jacking up their gas and electricity bill.

But the government has warned that using the wrong type of fuel in your fireplace could land you an eyewatering £1,000 fine instantly.

The government says: “You can be fined up to £1,000 if you buy unauthorised fuel to use in an appliance that’s not approved by Defra.

“If your appliance uses a chimney on the roof of a building (for example, a summerhouse), you can only burn authorised fuel unless it’s an exempt appliance.

“In a smoke control area you can only burn fuel on the list of authorised fuels, or any of the following ‘smokeless’ fuels, unless you’re using a Defra approved appliance: anthracite, semi-anthracite; gas; low volatile steam coal.”

Exempt appliances include some cookers, boilers and stoves – but not fireplace burners.

In England, there is a full list of the fuels that can be used in accordance with the Clean Air Act 1993, and also meet the Air Quality Domestic Solid Fuels Standards regulations of 2020.

If your solid fuel is not on that list, you cannot burn it in your fireplace if you live in a Smoke Control Area, which most people do as councils have put them in place in most UK areas.

The government adds: “Many parts of the UK are smoke control areas where you cannot release smoke from a chimney, and you can only burn authorised fuel, unless you use an appliance approved by Defra (also known as an ‘exempt appliance’ or ‘Defra approved appliance’.”