Selling firewood in Ireland: the Solid Fuels Regulations 2022, moisture limits and the fuels register

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It covers the Republic of Ireland. The rules are the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels) Regulations 2022, S.I. No. 529 of 2022, in force from October 31, 2022. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) keeps the register of solid fuel producers, and local authorities and the Minister appoint authorised persons to enforce the regulations.

The basic prohibition

Regulation 3 of the Irish Statute Book text says a person shall not retail or distribute solid fuel for combustion for heating, space or water, in a fireplace in a domestic or licensed premises unless it is an approved solid fuel. The regulations define a retailer as someone who sells or supplies solid fuel to other people for combustion for heating, and the definition includes a wholesaler and a supplier. A producer is someone who produces, treats or imports solid fuel for retail or distribution in the State.

What counts as approved wood

Units of two cubic metres or less: regulation 5(5) says fuel products that are 100% biomass, including wood products and wood logs, supplied in units of two cubic metres or less must have a moisture content of less than 25%, and from a later date, less than 20%. The 2022 text as made gave September 1, 2025 for the lower figure; the amending S.I. No. 389 of 2025 replaced that date, as set out in the next item.
The date for the lower limit: S.I. No. 389 of 2025, the Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels, Moisture Content) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, came into operation on August 1, 2025. It replaces regulation 5(5)(b) with the words "with effect from 1 September 2026, less than 20%", and changes the date in Schedule 1 from September 1, 2025 to September 1, 2026. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment explains on its Clean Air page that a market assessment led to the fall from 25% to 20% being postponed by one year. The EPA's registration notes for the 2026 to 2027 season also give less than 20% for wood.
Units of more than two cubic metres: regulation 5(6) says wood logs supplied in units of more than two cubic metres shall be accompanied by a notice with the statement in Schedule 1. Schedule 1 gives two forms of words: wood is not suitable for burning until it has been dried to a moisture content of 25% or less, and, for wood sold from the later date set by S.I. No. 389 of 2025 (September 1, 2026), 20% or less. Both add that wood should be stored and dried in a bright, well aired space until it reaches the required level.
Measuring moisture: regulation 10(11) says the method for calculating the moisture content of wood fuels or 100% biomass products is the one specified in International Standard ISO 17225 or a technical equivalent.

Producers: register, certify, label

The regulations set these producer duties.

Fuels register: a producer must register annually on the fuels register run by the EPA and may not carry out a fuel activity without being on it. An application carries a fee of EUR 100 under regulation 6(4). Registration runs from September 1 to August 31. The application needs the certificate of compliance, evidence of a valid tax clearance certificate, the total sales volumes of solid fuels for the year before the application and details of any conviction under the 1987 Act within the five years before the application.
Certification: regulation 10 says a producer is audited annually by a certification body and keeps the records listed in Schedule 2, which are retained for six years.
Producer duties: under regulation 7 a producer may not retail or distribute a solid fuel product unless it is approved, certified, labelled, accompanied by the Schedule 1 notice where wood is supplied in units of two cubic metres or more, and covered by the producer's registration.
Packaging label: regulation 11 says packaging of approved solid fuel carries the words "contents comply with the Air Pollution Act Regulations" and the producer's registration number, on a label that is non-detachable, legible and tamperproof.

The EPA's solid fuel regulations page repeats the EUR 100 fee, says producers register annually by September 1, and lists the producer register and the products database for the periods September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026 and September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. It says registration needs a valid certificate of compliance from a third-party certification body covering the full heating season and a valid Irish tax clearance certificate.

Retailers and vehicles

Regulation 8 says a retailer shall not sell fuel placed on the market by a producer who is not on the fuels register for that activity, and shall not make available a solid fuel that is not approved. A retailer keeps records for one year, including invoices, credit notes and delivery documents showing the producer's registration number, and gives them to an authorised person on request. Regulation 9 says the owner or operator of a vehicle carrying solid fuel for heating keeps on the vehicle a record of the quantity of each type and the supplier, a record of origin and destination and the purchasers, and a record showing the fuel is approved, such as an invoice with the registration number.

Amendments

Besides S.I. No. 389 of 2025, the EPA page lists two amending instruments. S.I. No. 76 of 2025 changes the date of the lower sulphur limit for coal products and manufactured fuels to September 1, 2030. S.I. No. 417 of 2026, published in Iris Oifigiúil on August 18, 2026, adds temporary provisions on smoke emission testing for coal and manufactured fuel products for the period September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. Neither of those two changes the wood moisture limits in regulation 5.

Inspections

Regulation 12 lets an authorised person inspect and sample solid fuel on a vehicle or at premises used for retailing or distributing it, ask for a producer's certificate, and inspect records. Samples go to a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or equivalent. Regulation 13 refers to proceedings for an offence under section 11 of the 1987 Act.

For cords, legal units and other places, see the firewood sale rules overview. The rules for burning in Great Britain are on the pages for England and smoke control areas.