Ultimate Guide to Ready to Burn Certification

More and more people in Britain are taking an interest in the environmental impact of their wood heating fuels. As a result, Lekto’s customer support team is getting more questions than ever about the quality of our products and their certification information.

People want to know which Lekto wood fuel products are compliant with Defra’s Ready to Burn quality assurance scheme. They want to know the certificate number of each product. And they want to understand what it means for a product to be certified.

Lekto prides itself on the quality of its products and is committed to being 100% transparent with its clients.

In this article, we will help you make sense of the Ready to Burn standard and the certification status of all Lekto products.

What Is the Woodsure Ready to Burn Standard?

Ready to Burn is the UK's leading fuelwood accreditation programme. The standard applies seasoned logs, kiln-dried logs, kindling, and wood briquettes.

In order to be compliant with the Ready to Burn standard, a wood fuel product must contain no more than 20% moisture.

This compliance is verified by Woodsure, a third-party non-profit company that was given the right to administer the standard by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

Why Was the Ready to Burn Standard Introduced?

So why is moisture content so important for wood fuels?

Up until recently, many people in Britain were sill burning wet wood, whether freshly-cut or poorly seasoned. Doing so is horrible for both human health and the environment.

How so? Wet wood smoulders when burned, releasing thousands of harmful compounds into the air. The most famous of these compounds is creosote, a highly cancerogenic substance that is also an explosion hazard.

Wood dried to a moisture level under 20%, however, does not smoulder as much. As a result, it burns cleanly and efficiently. It produces minimal smoke and slows the buildup of soot and tar in the flue of your appliance (the main reason you need your chimney swept every year).

Is the Ready to Burn Standard Mandatory?

Yes. Starting with May 1, 2022, it became mandatory for all wood fuels to be certified as Ready to Burn to be sold in the UK.

How to Know if a Wood Fuel Is Ready to Burn Certified?

Every Ready to Burn certified fuel should have the eponymous logo displayed prominently on its packaging. Additionally, trustworthy online suppliers will usually display the certificate number on the product page.

By choosing to use only Ready to Burn certified fuels, you can be confident you’re choosing quality, sustainability, and energy efficiency. 

How Does a Ready to Burn Certificate Look?

Here’s what a typical Ready to Burn certificate looks like:

Company: Company Name Ltd.

Certificate No: WSXXX/0000X

How to Read a Ready to Burn certificate?

Reading a Ready to Burn certificate is as simple as it can be. Let’s take the certificate of Lekto Night Briquettes as an example:

As you can see, the certificate logo consists of two parts:

• The company name. Ideally, this should match the name of your supplier. If you see a different company’s name here, then chances are you are buying from a reseller. This means you’re working with a middleman and will usually pay more than if you purchased your fuel directly.
• The certificate number. The certificate number always starts with WS and a number. This is the company’s code in Woodsure’s system. The second part of the code is used to identify the product.

Taking this all together, you get WS370, which is code for Lekto Woodfuels Ltd, and 00004, which is code for Night Briquettes.

Can Two Products Share the Same Ready to Burn Certificate?

Yes, this is possible. While each briquette type needs its own certificate number, a Ready to Burn certificate issued for hardwood logs can be applied to hardwood logs made from any hardwood tree species.

For example, Lekto’s Kiln-Dried Oak Logs and Kiln-Dried Birch Logs share Certificate No. WS370/00003.

What Is the Certification Status of Lekto Wood Fuels?

So are all of Lekto’s products certified as Ready to Burn? Read on to find out!

Are Night Briquettes Ready to Burn Certified?

Yes, Lekto’s long-burning Night Briquettes are certified by Woodsure as Ready to Burn. Their certificate number is WS370/00004. The recipient of the certificate is Lekto Woodfuels Ltd.

Are Lekto’s Kiln Dried Birch Logs Certified Ready to Burn?

Yes, Lekto’s popular Kiln-Dried Birch Logs are fully certified according to Woodsure’s Ready to Burn quality assurance scheme. Their certificate number is WS370/00003. As this certificate applies broadly to all hardwood logs, they share this certificate with Lekto’s oak logs.

Are Hardwood Heat Logs Woodsure Ready to Burn Certified?

Lekto’s hot-burning Hardwood Heat Logs are fully Ready to Burn certified. Their certificate number is WS370/00002, with WS370 standing for Lekto Woodfuels Ltd. and 00002 standing for Hardwood Heat Logs.

Is Lekto Wood Fire Kindling Ready to Burn Certified? 

Yes, Lekto’s kiln-dried Fire Kindling is fully certified according to Defra’s "Ready To Burn" wood fuel quality standard. In fact, they were the first Lekto Woodfuels product to get certified. Their certificate number is WS370/00001

Are Lekto Fire Logs Ready to Burn Certified?

Yes, Lekto’s universal Fire Logs are fully certified by Woodsure as Ready to Burn. Their issued certificate number is WS370/00008. The recipient of the certificate is Lekto Woodfuels Ltd.

Are Lekto’s Sawdust Briquettes Ready to Burn Certified? 

Yes, Lekto’s Sawdust Briquettes (aka RUF Briquettes) are fully certified according to Defra’s Ready to Burn certification scheme. They were tested by Woodsure and given a certificate with the number WS370/00005. The company mentioned in the certificate is Lekto Woodfuels.

Are Nestro Softwood Logs Ready to Burn? 

Yes, Lekto’s Nestro Softwood Logs are fully certified. Their Issued certificate number is WS370/00007.

Are Lekto’s Kiln Dried Oak Logs Certified Ready to Burn?

Yes, Lekto’s popular Kiln-Dried Oak Logs are fully certified as Ready to Burn. The certificate number issued to Lekto Woodfuels is WS370/00003. As this certificate applies broadly to all hardwood log products, they share this certificate with Lekto’s birch logs.

Are Pini Kay Eco Logs Ready to Burn Certified? 

Like all other Lekto briquette products, Pini Kay Eco Logs are 100% Ready to Burn certified. The number of the certificate issued to Lekto Wood Fuels is WS370/00006.

Is Lekto Lumpwood Charcoal Ready to Burn Certified? 

No, Woodsure’s Ready to Burn standard cannot be applied to Lumpwood Charcoal. 

Are Lekto’s Natural Firelighters Ready to Burn Certified? 

No, Natural Firelighters are not certified as Ready to Burn as the standard cannot be applied to wood wool firelighters.