But the Greens say the effective ban in most new suburbs in Molonglo does not go far enough and want to see older heaters phased out across Canberra through an upgraded buyback scheme.

They are calling for a crackdown on excessively smoky heaters in the suburbs.

The decision announced by ACT Environment Minister Simon Corbell this week is not a total ban. Molonglo residents can seek permission to have a wood fire heater. Such permits are already required in East O'Malley and Dunlop.

Mr Corbell, who says he does not use the slow-combustion wood heater in his home, said there was an exception for the Molonglo suburb of Wright, where land had already been sold, because the government was not going to make retrospective bans. There were no bans in new suburbs in Gungahlin because no significant concerns had been raised there.

A spokesman for Mr Corbell said: ''The [Molonglo] valley is likely to experience significant temperature inversions during cold, clear nights and, as such, resultant pollution entrapment at ground level may potentially cause significant health impacts.''

There would not necessarily be bans on wood heaters in new suburbs, but they would be considered.

''The ACT government will base its decisions on the available air quality data and planning studies as to the necessity to restrict wood heaters in a particular area of Canberra. The ACT government does not support an outright ban on wood heaters,'' the spokesman said.

There were just 3000 homes using wood heaters in the ACT in March last year (2.3 per cent), down from 5000 (or 2.9 per cent) three years earlier.

Dominic Stinziani, of Higgins, lives in one of those 3000 homes.

He uses his fireplace as a supplement to gas-fired heating. He said people should use slow combustion heaters.

''And it is very important that you burn the right kind of wood; seasoned hard wood causes a lot less smoke. You are getting it good and hot and it is a very clean burn.''

Australian Home Heating Association general manager Demi Brown said wood heaters had minimal emissions when used properly, and the industry had recently agreed to improve standards.

Greens health spokeswoman Amanda Bresnan said the current standards for wood heaters were inadequate, meaning heavy polluting heaters were allowed to be installed.

Her party is proposing a big increase in standards and said wood smoke had serious health issues, particularly for children, older people, and those with heart or breathing disorders. And only 5 per cent of firewood sold in the ACT came from sustainable plantations, ''meaning its use contributes to CO2 production, and causes ecological impacts on woodlands and wildlife''.

The reporter has and uses a slow combustion wood heater.