Wood Heating Systems: Pros and Cons
Wood Heating Systems: Pros and Cons
Wood heating systems or biomass systems burn wood to provide heat. Usually burning wooden pellets, chips or logs, there are two types: stoves and boilers. A stove is generally used as a standalone room heater, and boilers can be connected to a central heating and hot water system.
Installation Costs
Installation costs can vary widely, depending on the style of stove or boiler you opt for and the labour of having it installed. You can obviously cut costs by installing it yourself, but this requires the right knowledge and the confidence to do it- if you are lacking in either department, then refrain from doing it yourself. Stoves are cheaper, costing around £5,000 at most. Boilers can cost up to £12,000.
How Much Can You Save?
This depends on the type of fuel you are currently using and how much you currently use. It can vary from £580 if you’re replacing electricity to £100 if you’re replacing gas. It is a cheaper option to central heating and hot water if you’re not connected to the gas network.
Biomass fuels are considered carbon neutral as while they produce carbon dioxide, it is offset by the amount that is absorbed while it grows. If you buy locally produced fuel for your wood burner, then the carbon footprint will be even lower.
Running Costs
The fuel cost of a wood burning boiler that runs the central heating and hot water is around £500-700 a year. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk if you have somewhere to store the wood properly. Pellet prices depend on the size and price of delivery- so the more you buy the cheaper it will be. Wood is generally cheaper, but it depends on your local supplier.
Wood chips are generally not suitable for heating a single house, instead more suited to larger buildings or group of buildings. If you opt for using logs, then you must be prepared to fill the boiler or stove by hand. Pellet and chip burners have automatic feeders, but this is not available for logs.
The Renewable Heating Incentive
The Renewable Heating Incentive is a government scheme that will pay you to produce heat from wood burning. It is a one off payment that could see you getting a grant of £950. You can get grants for installing other types of renewable energy heating systems, such as harnessing solar energy or ground source heat pumps.
If you’re looking for a wood burning stove, then check out www.woodburningstovesandflues.co.uk for traditional and contemporary styles.
This is a partner post. The content was not written by me.
