Survey | West Northamptonshire Council Solid Fuel Burning Project

Welcome to the West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) survey on solid fuel burning habits. We want to learn more about how people are using solid fuel burners of different kinds, what type of fuel they are burning, and how often.

WNC has been given a government Grant to conduct local research on solid fuel burning at home and how this may affect air quality and impact health, as there is little local research currently available. This survey forms part of a wider range of actions being progressed to reduce pollution across West Northamptonshire.

The survey is anonymous and has a number of questions which will help us to understand what, how and when you burn so that we can improve awareness of the risks of air pollution.

This survey is being conducted by Deetu on behalf of WNC and closes on Saturday 31st January 2026. All feedback from this survey will be anonymous.

If you would like to request this survey in another format, please send us an email at environmentalhealth@westnorthants.gov.uk.

West Northamptonshire Council has been successful in receiving Government funding so it can work with residents to understand the impact of solid fuel burners in the home on air quality and public health across West Northamptonshire. Solid fuel can include things such as coffee logs, wood, briquettes and coal. There is little information available locally on the types of burners people use, the kind of fuel they burn, and how often they’re used. With the increased popularity of solid fuel burners, alongside a potential link with exacerbating existing health issues such as asthma and other lung conditions, the Council wants to see if there are any links between what we burn and the impacts on our most vulnerable adults and children. The project will support the national target for particulate matter emissions (PM2.5).

The solid fuel burning project will involve voluntary completion of an online survey to better understand your domestic burning practices and habits, and your knowledge about how you can improve the way your fuel burner works, to save money and reduce emissions.

To better understand why, how and when people burn solid fuels at home.
To better understand the community's knowledge and awareness about the health and environmental impact of burning solid fuels at home.
To better understand the community's knowledge about how to operate a solid fuel burner to save money, reduce emission and improve health.
To measure local indoor and outdoor air quality where solid fuel burning is taking place so we can better understand its impact locally.

The project is being funded by a grant that was awarded to the Council by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The money was made available as part of the DEFRA Air Quality Grant Scheme 2022-2023.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) will be running this project until 2026. Monitoring started December 2024 and finishing 30th April 2025 for the previous season. The second monitoring season has begun and will finish on 30th April 2026.

The survey will be open for completion until 31st January 2026. There was a previous survey that was ran over the winter of 2024/25.

There are 10 air quality monitors located in outdoor locations across West Northamptonshire that monitor Particulate Matter (PM). With the help of volunteers, there are also air quality monitors located inside premises around West Northamptonshire.

Dimensions (with solar panel) = 233 mm (W) x 176 mm (H) x 162 mm (D), about the size of a place mat.

A stock photograph of an outdoor
monitor with a solar panel.

For indoor monitoring, the sensor is a standalone unit with a 3-pin household plug connection. A mount is provided to allow for appropriate and discrete installation.

Please complete the online survey. Your participation is appreciated.

Help with completing this survey

Before starting the survey, please read the privacy policy.

Questions marked with an asterisk * are mandatory, so must be completed in order to submit your responses.

The survey should take around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and your progress can be tracked by the progress bar at the bottom of the page.

Please don't navigate away from the page, or use your browser's back button, before you have submitted your completed survey.

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data.

All feedback is being collected on behalf of West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).

In accordance with our Privacy Policy, responses will be collected by Deetu (the data processor) and shared with WNC (the data controller) and third party professional advisors.