Choosing wood chip fuel 

Posted on January 14, 2020.

A Sustainable Choice of wood chip fuel

Choosing wood fuel to heat homes is a sustainable choice. Rising costs of electricity, oil and gas continue to make wood fuel an attractive option for homes, schools, offices, factories, community and district heating facilities. Whilst RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) rates have been reduced for new applicants, conventional energy prices have steeply risen, keeping the wood option a strong contender in the decision making process.

Comparative Energy Prices

The following chart, sourced from various energy sites, showing some typical average prices, in pence per kWh:

The prices of gas, coal and oil are rising and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Wood is cheaper than most other fuels, especially when you factor in the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive.

Note on the prices above, whilst electricity is by far the most expensive form of heating, it is also the only fuel that is 100% efficient in your home. All the costs given are the prices at input (i.e. before you’ve actually used them), but gas, oil, coal and wood all involve burning something. That means heat is lost. With electricity, every pence you spend goes directly on heating your home. With all the others, a percentage of that pence will be wasted.

Why choose wood fuel

Wood is an abundant natural resource and producing wood fuels can boost local jobs and support rural communities. Wood fuel is a good option and there are many reasons to choose wood:

• Wood fuel can save on the cost of heating. The Government’s RHI scheme has financial incentives for boiler equipment, installation and fuels, making wood fuel an attractive long term option.
• Modern wood burning technology is very efficient and can be applied to single room heating all the way up to large scale community projects.
• Wood is a low carbon fuel, especially when paired with the right technology ie efficient wood burners (although any fuels are better the more efficient the boilers are)
• Wood fuel is easily available, and our Fuel Chip is a by-product of tree clearance works by our sister company, Practicality Brown, where the uneconomic tree crops are chipped for wood fuel
• Wood fuel is a sustainable source of energy because each tree that is cut down can be replaced

There’s more about the RHI here

Reliable Wood Fuel Supply

We offer customised energy service contracts covering fuel supply and maintenance appropriate to each client’s circumstances and requirements:

• Fixed Term Wood Chip Fuel Supply Contracts
• Energy Metered Fuel Supply Agreements, linked to maintenance contracts

We believe that for many heat users, Energy Metered Supply Agreements are the most convenient and equitable way to use and pay for wood chip fuel by the use of a Heat Energy Meter (MCS approved). With this arrangement, the customer pays for the heat energy used every month, at an agreed figure per Kwh.