Find out the home heating rules for Christchurch and what types of heating you can use in your home.
Christchurch Clean Air Zone 1 - Open Fires
The use of open fires in Christchurch is banned from 1 April to 30 September each year. This came into place in April 2010.
Outside this winter period you can use an open fire providing you use dry wood with a moisture content of less than 25% or paper and cardboard.
Replacement heating
No resource consent necessary:
- Heat pump
- Nightstore heater
- Fixed-flued gas or liquid fuel (including oil and diesel) heater.
- Low-emission burner or pellet fire approved by Environment Canterbury as listed on our approved burners list.
Resource consent necessary:
- Any burner or pellet fire not approved by Environment Canterbury
- Any new cooker using wood or coal.
Building consent
Most burners with a flue, such as all woodburners and pellet fires (but not flued gas heaters), will need a building consent from the Christchurch City Council.
Christchurch Clean Air Zone 1 - Homes with an existing solid fuel burner
From 1 April 2010, the use of solid fuel burners that are 15 years or older in Christchurch is banned from 1 April to 30 September each year.
This means that from the 15-year anniversary of a burner's first installation as recorded on a building consent or permit, it will be illegal to use it between 1 April and 30 September in that year or any successive year.
Find out how old your burner is at http://tools.ecan.govt.nz/WoodburnerAge/
Replacement heating
No resource consent necessary:
- Heat pump
- Nightstore heater
- Fixed-flued gas or liquid fuel (including oil and diesel) heater.
- Low-emission burner or pellet fire approved by Environment Canterbury as listed on our approved burners list.
Resource consent necessary:
- Any burner or pellet fire not approved by Environment Canterbury.
- Any new cooker that uses wood or coal.
You cannot install:
- An open fire.
- Any non-compliant woodburner without resource consent.
Building consent
Most burners with a flue, such as all woodburners and pellet fires (but not flued gas heaters), will also need a building consent from the Christchurch City Council to ensure it is installed properly.
You may qualify for a subsidy from Warm Up New Zealand if you apply before June 2013. www.eeca.govt.nz
Christchurch Clean Air Zone 1 - Homes currently without an open fire, woodburner or other solid fuel burner (including new homes)
Heating options
No resource consent necessary:
- Heat pump.
- Nightstore heater.
- Fixed-flued gas or liquid fuel (including oil and diesel) heater.
Resource consent necessary:
You cannot install:
- An open fire.
- Any new woodburner.
Building consent
Most burners with a flue, such as pellet fires (but not flued gas heaters), will need a building consent from the Christchurch City Council.
Christchurch Clean Air Zone 1 - Earthquake rebuilds on same site or new site
If you are building a new home on the same site or a different site, under the Christchurch Air Plan you cannot install a logburner, even if you had one in your current home.
Christchurch Clean Air Zone 2 - Homes with an existing open fire, woodburner or other solid fuel burner
Existing heating
Presently there are no rules banning existing open fires, woodburners or other solid fuel burners in Christchurch Clean Air Zone 2.
You are only allowed to use dry wood with a moisture content of less than 25% or paper and cardboard. You can get the moisture content of firewood tested for free at Environment Canterbury's offices in Kilmore Street.
Other heating options
No resource consent necessary:
- Heat pump
- Nightstore heater
- Fixed-flued gas or liquid fuel (including oil and diesel) heater.
- Low-emission burner or pellet fire approved by Environment Canterbury as listed on our approved burners list.
Resource consent necessary:
- Any new burner or pellet fire not approved by Environment Canterbury
- Any new open fire
- Any new cooker using wood or coal.
Building consent
Most burners with a flue, such as all woodburners and pellet fires (but not flued gas heaters), will need a building consent from the Christchurch City Council.
Christchurch Clean Air Zone 2 - Homes currently without an open fire, woodburner or other solid fuel burner (including new homes)
Heating options
No resource consent necessary:
- Heat pump
- Nightstore heater
- Fixed-flued gas or liquid fuel (including oil and diesel) heater
- Low-emission burner or pellet fire approved by Environment Canterbury on our approved burners list.
Resource consent necessary:
- Any new burner or pellet fire not approved by Environment Canterbury
- Any new open fire
- Any new cooker using wood or coal.
Building consent:
Most burners with a flue, such as all woodburners and pellet fires (but not flued gas heaters), will need a building consent from the Christchurch City Council.
Further information
Please contact our Customer Services team if you have further questions.
Disclaimer
This is a simplification of the rules in the Air Plan (Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan - Chapter 3: Air Quality) as they are currently applied by Environment Canterbury and the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality and is therefore intended as a guide only. You should refer to the Standards and the Operative Regional Plan directly and satisfy yourself as to their provisions before taking any action or making any decisions on any matters covered here.
To be approved by Environment Canterbury, a burner would need to meet the emission criteria of 1 g/kg or less and 65 % space heating efficiency or better.
A resource consent can be expensive and there is no guarantee it will be granted.