CLEANFLUE NI CUSTOMER INFORMATION
Smoke Control Areas Northern Ireland
Which appliances and fuels can be used—and what the labels really mean
In a declared Smoke Control Area, the legal route is to burn a fuel authorised for Northern Ireland or to use an appliance specifically exempted for Northern Ireland with its listed fuel and conditions. District boundaries and Smoke Control Area boundaries are not the same thing, so always check the exact property with the council.
An exempt appliance is only exempt while it is installed, maintained and operated as specified and burns a fuel permitted for that exact appliance.
Where Smoke Control Areas have been declared
This map accurately uses the official Northern Ireland district boundaries and the current NI Air summary status. Amber means part of the district is covered—not the whole coloured area.
Antrim and NewtownabbeyPARTIAL
Armagh City, Banbridge and CraigavonPARTIAL
BelfastPARTIAL
Causeway Coast and GlensCHECK WITH COUNCIL
Derry City and StrabanePARTIAL
Fermanagh and OmaghNONE SHOWN
Lisburn and CastlereaghPARTIAL
Mid and East AntrimPARTIAL
Mid UlsterNONE SHOWN
Newry, Mourne and DownPARTIAL
Ards and North DownPARTIAL
Most marked districts are only partially covered. A boundary can divide towns, streets or neighbourhoods. Use the live NI Air page and ask the council's Environmental Health team to confirm the exact address.
OPEN OFFICIAL NI AIR MAP ↗District geometry and status: Northern Ireland Air / DAERA, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Official summary checked 18 August 2026.
Can I use this appliance and fuel?
Still use only manufacturer-approved fuel and comply with nuisance, waste, safety and Building Regulations requirements.
Follow one of the two lawful routes below.
What can be used in each zone?
The exact official product or model listing always takes priority over general examples.
| Location | Appliance | Permitted route | Key restriction |
|---|---|---|---|
| INSIDE | Open fireplace | Burn only a fuel on the current Northern Ireland authorised-fuels list that is suitable for an open fire. | Do not burn ordinary logs, peat or ordinary house coal merely because the fire is open. |
| INSIDE | Non-exempt multi-fuel stove | Use only a current NI-authorised fuel that the appliance manufacturer permits. | “Multi-fuel” does not mean every fuel, and it does not make wood lawful in a controlled area. |
| INSIDE | Non-exempt wood-only stove | Do not burn wood. Seek model-specific advice before use; a wood-only appliance may have no suitable authorised-fuel option. | Never switch to mineral fuel unless the appliance is expressly designed for it. |
| INSIDE | NI-exempt stove, boiler, cooker or heater | Burn only the fuel or fuels shown for the exact model on the Northern Ireland exempt-appliance list. | Fit any required smoke-control kit and follow the specified installation, manual and operating conditions. |
| OUTSIDE | Open fire or solid-fuel appliance | The Smoke Control Area authorised-fuel/exemption rule does not apply. Use only fuel suitable for the appliance. | Other controls still apply. Avoid smoke nuisance and never burn domestic waste, plastics or treated/painted timber. |
Check the exact fuel
The NI list includes inherently smokeless fuels—anthracite, semi-anthracite, gas and low-volatile steam coal—and many named manufactured fuels. A bag saying only “smokeless” is not enough: check the exact product and conditions.
SEARCH NI AUTHORISED FUELS ↗Wood and other fuels
Ordinary wood logs are not on the generic inherently-smokeless list. Inside a controlled area, burn them only where the exact NI appliance exemption permits wood. Check every other solid fuel against the authorised-fuel list or the appliance's exemption.
SEARCH NI EXEMPT APPLIANCES ↗Ecodesign, “DEFRA exempt” and clean burn are not interchangeable
Ecodesign
A product-performance standard covering efficiency and emissions for appliances placed on the market. It is valuable, but Ecodesign compliance alone is not a Smoke Control Area exemption.
For wood in a controlled area, the exact model must also show a Northern Ireland exemption for wood.“DEFRA exempt”
A common retail term for an exempt appliance. For a Northern Ireland property, check the exact model's N. Ireland Status on the statutory list; NI exemptions are published by DAERA.
The permitted fuel, manual, conditions and any required kit are part of the exemption.Clean burn / Cleanburn
A combustion design or marketing description, commonly using preheated secondary or tertiary air to burn more gases and reduce visible smoke.
It can improve combustion, but it is not a legal certification and creates no exemption by itself.For wood burning in a Northern Ireland Smoke Control Area, look for both strong low-emission performance and the exact model on the official Northern Ireland exempt-appliance list for wood. Keep the manual and exemption details.
Before lighting in a controlled area
- Confirm the property address with the district council—not just the town or postcode district.
- Match the full manufacturer and model name to the Northern Ireland exemption entry.
- Read the permitted-fuels field and every additional condition on that entry.
- Check the fuel's exact brand or generic authorisation on the current NI fuel list.
- Use the appliance, air controls and any smoke-control kit exactly as the listed instructions require.
- Keep purchase information, the manual and exemption reference with the appliance records.
Never rely on these assumptions
- The whole council area is controlled because part of it is shaded amber.
- Any stove sold as Ecodesign, low emission or clean burn is automatically exempt.
- A DEFRA exemption for England automatically proves the same model is exempt in Northern Ireland.
- Any product described by a retailer as smokeless is automatically authorised in Northern Ireland.
- An exempt stove may burn any dry wood, coal, peat, pellet or briquette.
- An appliance exemption permits household rubbish, plastics or treated and painted waste timber.
Verify the live position before use
DAERA states that councils may declare all or part of a district a Smoke Control Area. Within one, residents must use an authorised fuel or an exempted fireplace. Exempt appliances must be installed, maintained and operated to their listed specifications, and may burn only authorised fuels or the fuels officially permitted for that appliance.
Check the model before you buy or burn.
CleanFlue NI can help identify the appliance, explain its fuel requirements and point you to the correct official checks. The district council remains the authority for the property's Smoke Control Area status.