John Swinney has been urged to overturn the Scottish Government’s controversial ban on wood burning stoves if he becomes first minister.

Last month, the New Build Heat Standard took effect forbidding the use of direct emission heating (DEH) systems in any new house.

Effectively, this means that homes and conversions where the building warrant was applied for after April 1 are not allowed to use gas or oil boilers, or any form of bioenergy where electricity or heat is generated from organic matter such as wood.

Instead, housebuilders are expected to use what are known as zero DEH systems such as heat pumps, solar thermal storage systems or electric storage heaters.

While the new rules allow some exemptions for an “emergency” there is still confusion over exactly what is allowed and when it is allowed to be used.

Architects, builders and industry bodies have all complained about the new measures brought in by the then Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Patrick Harvie.

There were complaints too from politicians, including those on the SNP benches who, like Mr Swinney, represent largely rural constituencies

In his speech at his campaign launch on Sunday, Mr Swinney appeared to put some distance between himself and the Bute House Agreement.

Mr Swinney, who was elected unopposed as the new leader of the SNP this week and will almost certainly become Scotland's new first minister, told supporters: “The climate emergency is a real and present threat to our society, but we need to recognise that the pursuit of net zero has to take people and business with us.

“When resources are limited, they must be used forensically to make the greatest impact on the challenge we face.”

A leading industry body has now launched a campaign calling for parliament “to protect the people of Scotland’s right to use a wood burning stove to heat their homes."

Andy Hill, chair of the Stove Industry Association, said they had lodged a petition at Holyrood looking for a change.

Stoves, he said give the fuel poor the ability to heat their home cheaply and gives homes grid resilience and a reliable source of heat in the event of power cut or extreme weather conditions.

He also raised concerns over the impact of the proposed new Heat in Buildings Bill.

Mr Hill said:”By effectively banning the permitted use of wood burning stoves in new build properties, the new Standard leaves households extremely vulnerable to total heat loss in the event of a power cut or where there are grid supply issues.

“Furthermore, the Standard specifies heating technology with higher carbon emissions than a wood burning stove which is fundamentally at odds with the objective of the standard."

He said the rules also threatened the livelihoods "of the estimated 2,000 residents of Scotland employed within the stove industry and risks stripping approximately £60 million annually from the Scottish economy.”

Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary Rachael Hamilton said there needed to be a change: “The ban on woodburning stoves in new homes summed up the SNP-Greens’ contempt for rural Scotland.

“They completely failed to recognise how crucial these heating systems are for people in these communities, especially in emergency situations of extreme weather."

A Scottish Government spokesperson insisted there was "no ban on wood burning stoves."

They added: “Proposals for the New Build Heat Standard were subject to full consultation in 2021 and again in 2022, and both consultations showed strong support.

"However, the Scottish Government has been listening to the concerns raised over the past weeks about the use of biomass and wood-burning stoves and is taking these fully on board.

"Initially, we are considering what further clarity is needed in guidance to address those concerns and will work with concerned parties, developers, and Local Authorities to ensure any updates to the existing technical guidance address this comprehensively.

“There is currently no regulation on the type of heat in existing buildings. We have recently consulted on plans for introducing clean heating systems in existing homes and buildings and are currently considering the responses.

“This consultation recognised that bioenergy systems, like wood burning stoves, are a renewable, and in many cases, a net zero form of heating which may be the best solution for some homes – especially in rural Scotland.”

This article originally appeared in our sister title, the Herald.