Reducing Domestic Wood Burning through Voluntary Air Quality Alerts: An IBM-WASH Evaluation of a Pilot Intervention in Wales

Burning solid fuels for home heating is a major source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and associated health risks across Europe. This article reports findings from a pilot study of a voluntary 'burn alert' system in Swansea, Wales, aimed at reducing domestic burning emissions. The system combined dense air quality (AQ) monitoring, postcode-level PM2.5 data, and behaviorally informed SMS/email alerts discouraging burning during poor air quality episodes. A sequential mixed-methods design included pre- and post-intervention surveys (n = 49) and follow-up interviews (n = 14). Over four weeks of use, 84% of participants (n = 41) reported avoiding burning at least once on receipt of an alert. Among those providing quantitative estimates of burning behavior (n = 47), 606 total hours of avoided burning were reported. AQ literacy also increased significantly among participants completing both surveys (paired t-test: t(40) = 2.04, p <0.05), with mean scores rising from 7.9 to 8.6 (out of 12). Using the Integrated Behavioral Model for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (IBM-WASH), qualitative findings indicate that engagement was shaped by contextual factors (including energy costs and regulatory perceptions), psychosocial factors (including trust, self-efficacy and health concerns), and technological factors (including alert timing and perceived sensor proximity). Although recruitment was low relative to the wider burning population, the findings indicate that voluntary, hyper-local alert systems may support behavior change and improvements in AQ literacy among engaged users. Meaningful population-level emission reductions are therefore likely to depend on integrating such systems within broader regulatory and public information strategies, alongside measures to address household energy pressures.