THE trade body representing the wood-burning stove industry has lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament calling for the ban on installations in new-build homes to be reversed.

Andy Hill, the chair of the Stove Industry Association (SIA), said a petition had been lodged calling for a U-turn on the policy which he claimed “threatens the livelihoods of the estimated 2000 residents of Scotland employed within the stove industry”.

It comes after new building regulations, which came into effect on April 1, effectively banned wood-burning stoves from being installed in new-build Scottish houses.

The new regulations also state that, if an existing building undergoes major conversion work, it should have any wood-burning stove removed if it “was located within a part of the building which is subject to conversion”.

READ MORE: Are wood-burning stoves banned in Scotland? All the key new rules explained

However, homes built before the regulations came into effect can still have wood-burning stoves installed and people with them in their houses will not be compelled to remove them.

The SIA questioned the environmental motivation behind the policy, saying in a briefing document: “Woodburning stoves are the lowest carbon emitting heating available for homes, with a carbon intensity 1/19th of direct electric heating.”

The body pointed to UK Government figures which state that the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) emission factor (kgCO2e/kWh) of wood logs is 1/19th that of electricity (0.01074 compared to 0.207074) and 1/16th that of mains gas (0.01074 compared to 0.18).

It added: “The exclusion of low-carbon technology such as modern stoves from the New Build Heat Standard and the proposed Heat in Building Bill is in direct conflict with the stated goals of both pieces of legislation.”

The SIA said it had lodged the petition with the Scottish Parliament on May 3 and it is expected to go live for signatures in due course.

Hill said: “The SIA strongly opposes the New Build Heat Standard and the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.

“By effectively banning the permitted use of wood-burning stoves in new-build properties, the new standard leaves households extremely vulnerable to total heat loss in the event of a power cut or where there are grid supply issues.

“Furthermore, the standard specifies heating technology with higher carbon emissions than a wood-burning stove which is fundamentally at odds with the objective of the standard. The proposed Heat in Buildings Bill not only seeks to apply the same restrictions on wood-burning stoves, but also has the potential to decimate the housing market by imposing a requirement for those purchasing a property to ‘comply with the prohibition on polluting heating within a specified amount of time following completion of the sale’.

“Such legislation is not only severely detrimental to consumer choice, it has the potential to leave Scottish residents without heat and facing higher than ever domestic heating bills. It also threatens the livelihoods of the estimated 2000 residents of Scotland employed within the stove industry and risks stripping approximately £60 million annually from the Scottish economy.

“That is why the SIA has today submitted a petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to protect the people of Scotland’s right to use a wood burning stove to heat their homes.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.

READ MORE: Rhoda Meek: Scotland's wood-burning ban is another case of 'mainsplaining'

After the ban came into effect in April, the government said: “Heating our homes and buildings represents about a fifth of Scotland’s carbon emissions so tackling the climate emergency requires us to address these emissions.

“Proposals in the New Build Heat Standard, which came into force from April 1, 2024, were widely consulted on in 2021 and again in 2022. Both consultations showed strong support for the new standard.

“The changes mean that new homes and buildings do not contribute to climate emissions, by banning the use of polluting heating systems such as oil and gas boilers, and bioenergy – including wood-burning stoves.

“Existing homes are completely unaffected as the standard will not apply to the installation of heating in homes and buildings built before 2024.

“Wood-burning stoves and other heating systems that cause emissions can also still be installed in new homes to provide emergency heating, where a need can be justified – responding to feedback from rural communities.

“Separately, the Scottish Government has recently finished consulting on plans for introducing clean heating systems in existing homes and buildings and is currently considering responses. This included proposals around the use of bioenergy and measures to prohibit the use of polluting heating systems in all buildings after 2045.”