Industry says wood heater replacement could cut emissions
Replacing older wood heaters with newer certified models could cut wood smoke emissions sharply, according to the Australian Home Heating Association, which argues against blanket bans on the technology.
AHHA says Australians can achieve cleaner air without removing household choice. It describes the current debate as a false choice between public health and consumer choice.
Many heaters still in use pre-date current standards and more recent design improvements. Replacing those units would lower emissions, improve efficiency, reduce wood use and deliver better heating performance, the group says.
AHHA general manager Tim Cannon said, “The real issue isn’t whether emissions should be reduced, it’s how we do it.”
He argued that better technology, tighter standards and smarter policy produce stronger results than outright bans. Cannon also backed a targeted replacement programme to deliver faster environmental gains while preserving choice for households.
Modern certified wood heaters are cleaner and more efficient than older models. AHHA links that change to years of industry investment in design, combustion efficiency, emissions performance, installation standards and consumer education.
Australian standards are also set to tighten. Emission limits will fall from 1.5 grams to 1.0 gram per kilogram of fuel in four years.
Denmark Ecodesign study
In Denmark, the Danish EPA ran a three-year study in a town that replaced old wood heaters with Ecodesign models. That trial found average emissions cuts of 40%.
The same study projected bigger gains from a wider rollout. Replacing all open fires and pre-2008 stoves with Ecodesign technology would cut Danish residential PM2.5 emissions by an estimated 65%.
Cannon said, “The single biggest opportunity to reduce wood smoke emissions is replacing old heaters with modern certified units, not banning the technology altogether.”
Policy debate often treats all wood heaters as though they are the same, AHHA argues. Decades-old units are being conflated with certified models that meet current Australian standards.
Emissions vary widely depending on a heater’s age, design and efficiency. For example, a pre-2015 unit operating below current standards differs markedly from a certified heater that complies with current Australian rules.
Beyond household heating, AHHA says Australia also faces smoke from bushfires, planned fuel-reduction burns, agricultural burn-offs, forestry and land management. However, the group argues those sources rarely receive the same urgency in policy discussions about air quality.
As a result, AHHA wants evidence-based rules to focus on the highest-emitting household heaters rather than remove the option entirely.
