Sign up to help us study wood burner emissions

If you live in Christchurch and have a low-emission or ultra-low emission wood burner, we need your help.

We are looking for 40 homeowners who are happy to allow us to monitor their wood use and emissions for two weeks in June or July. We’ll set up a wood basket, electronic scale and monitors. All you have to do is use your fire as you would normally. To thank you for taking part in this study you’ll get $100 in grocery vouchers.

We are also looking for four homeowners with ultra-low emission burners who are happy to participate in a one-week study.

Please note that only Christchurch residents with low emission or ultra low emission wood burners are eligible to participate in the studies. If you would like to participate in one of the studies, please fill in the sign-up form on this page. All the information we collect from these studies will remain confidential.

If you are selected to participate in one of the studies, we will be in touch with you soon by phone or email.

What to expect during the study

If you are selected for the fuel use study, we will arrange for a technician to set up a set of electronic scales, a wood basket, and sensors at your house in June. For two weeks in June or July, we will measure your household's wood use via those scales and sensors.

You will not be required to manually record weights as the scales will automatically record the change in weight when wood is taken from or added to the basket. A technician will collect the scales, wood basket and sensors after the study.

To thank you for your participation, you will receive $100 in grocery vouchers at the end of the study.

More about the fuel use study

We calculate home heating emissions using:

  • wood burner numbers,
  • the average amount of wood burnt per night, and
  • emission factors (i.e. quantity of pollutant emissions produced for each unit of fuel used, for each class of wood burner).

Since we last ran fuel studies in 2014, wood burner technology has improved considerably, homes are better insulated, and the mix of homes has changed. This may mean that less heating is now needed to keep homes warm. Because of these changes, we need to update our emission inventory.

By participating in this study, you will help us more accurately estimate the quantity of emissions from a wider range of wood burner types and ages. This also helps us determine the most effective emission reduction measures.

If you live in Christchurch and have a low-emission or ultra-low emission wood burner, we need your help.

We are looking for 40 homeowners who are happy to allow us to monitor their wood use and emissions for two weeks in June or July. We’ll set up a wood basket, electronic scale and monitors. All you have to do is use your fire as you would normally. To thank you for taking part in this study you’ll get $100 in grocery vouchers.

We are also looking for four homeowners with ultra-low emission burners who are happy to participate in a one-week study.

Please note that only Christchurch residents with low emission or ultra low emission wood burners are eligible to participate in the studies. If you would like to participate in one of the studies, please fill in the sign-up form on this page. All the information we collect from these studies will remain confidential.

If you are selected to participate in one of the studies, we will be in touch with you soon by phone or email.

What to expect during the study

If you are selected for the fuel use study, we will arrange for a technician to set up a set of electronic scales, a wood basket, and sensors at your house in June. For two weeks in June or July, we will measure your household's wood use via those scales and sensors.

You will not be required to manually record weights as the scales will automatically record the change in weight when wood is taken from or added to the basket. A technician will collect the scales, wood basket and sensors after the study.

To thank you for your participation, you will receive $100 in grocery vouchers at the end of the study.

More about the fuel use study

We calculate home heating emissions using:

  • wood burner numbers,
  • the average amount of wood burnt per night, and
  • emission factors (i.e. quantity of pollutant emissions produced for each unit of fuel used, for each class of wood burner).

Since we last ran fuel studies in 2014, wood burner technology has improved considerably, homes are better insulated, and the mix of homes has changed. This may mean that less heating is now needed to keep homes warm. Because of these changes, we need to update our emission inventory.

By participating in this study, you will help us more accurately estimate the quantity of emissions from a wider range of wood burner types and ages. This also helps us determine the most effective emission reduction measures.

Page last updated: 30 May 2023, 01:27 PM