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Are wood pellet boilers the future of heating?

Most domestic and commercial boilers run on gas or oil – fossil fuels available in limited quantities – but the introduction of wood pellet boilers could offer a sustainable solution for our future heating needs.

The National Grid has predicted that by 2013, 67% of our natural gas will be imported and by 2020 this will increase to 90%.  However, the infrastructure is not in place to meet these requirements and gas is both difficult and costly to import; it costs approximately £1 million to lay 1kilometer of gas pipe work. Continuing to import oil and gas means the UK trade deficit (predicted to be £80billion by 2018) may not be sustainable and will reduce the value of the pound. This is a vicious circle that will result in only one outcome- raising the cost further in fuel prices. 

So what’s the solution? Well, a sizeable wood fuel industry has emerged and a quality pellet is available in abundance.  As this fuel is not linked to any global markets, it is predicted that the cost will remain stable.  As well as being cheaper to buy, it can dramatically decrease energy bills as well as being a much more environmentally friendly option to gas.

Switching to a wood pellet boiler will dramatically cut carbon emissions. Firstly, heating with wood is ‘CO2 neutral’, regardless of what the wood is used for, the carbon emissions are equal to that of the carbon absorbed during its life.  Secondly, wood pellet boilers only deliver the exact amount of wood pellets to the burner needed to achieve the target temperature, and built-in weather compensation technology ensures comfort and maximum fuel savings. 

Half of all carbon emissions come from businesses and industrial processes and the government has recognised the importance of focussing on these areas.  So, as part of the Climate Change Levy Programme, The Carbon Trust is offering businesses incentives to invest in energy efficient equipment to reduce their carbon footprint.  This includes the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme which provides 100% tax relief on investment in energy saving equipment that’s registered with the Energy Saving Trust.

Small to medium enterprises can apply for interest free loans between £50,000 and £100,000 (£400,000 in N. Ireland) that are repayable for up to four years.  Some wood pellet boilers are available on the Energy Technology List and can offer this type of financial assistance. However, the biggest motivation for switching to a wood pellet boiler is to remember that investing in this energy efficient equipment will dramatically reduce a home or businesses energy bills, resulting in savings year after year.  

Regardless of whether someone is building a new house, renovating, embarking on an eco project or looking to make a business greener, there are some important points to be considered before going ahead.  A woodchip boiler supplier will offer a full energy assessment on current heating systems. This will show how and where savings will be made, what your payback time should be and advise if any relevant funding is available.