Partner Article

Northumberland could make bio-massive energy savings

Northumberland households could slash their energy bills by a third and receive a regular income for the amount of heat they generate by switching to biomass, according to Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Berwick upon Tweed, Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Biomass boilers are an ideal replacement for oil and LPG boilers, and are suitable for a wide range of different properties. Most domestic biomass boilers use pellets which cost the same as natural gas – making pellets approximately a third cheaper than oil and nearly half the price of LPG.

In April this year, the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) was also launched by the Government. The scheme pays households a regular income of 12.2p for every kilowatt hour of heat required to heat the property and produce domestic hot water.

Mrs Trevelyan is encouraging households, particularly those that are off the gas grid, to make the switch to biomass after seeing for herself the savings that can be made.

After installing a biomass boiler at her own home, Anne-Marie visited Northumberland biomass boiler distribution company IXUS Energy to hear about the impact of the domestic RHI scheme since its launch. She was also able to learn more about the savings that other Northumberland families could achieve.

During her visit to IXUS Energy and its installation division, The Wood Heating Company, Anne-Marie got a chance to see the full range of biomass technology, including a selection of pellet and log burners. IXUS Energy supplies boilers from KWB, Solarfocus and Effecta – three of the leading European biomass boiler manufacturers.

Simon Cross, IXUS Energy commercial director, said: “We were pleased to welcome Anne-Marie to IXUS Energy and The Wood Heating Company to see how the domestic RHI is working and the potential that it promises for households across Northumberland. It is the most generous scheme anywhere in the world for those looking to cut their heating bills and receive a regular payment for doing so.

“Anyone joining the domestic RHI scheme now is guaranteed to receive the full 12.2p/kWh and will be unaffected by any future reduction in the payment. We have seen uptake of biomass increase compared to last year as many households who are currently relying on expensive oil and LPG for their heating make the switch. It is an excellent way to heat homes cheaply and to get paid for doing so.”

This week the Energy Ombudsman revealed that complaints about energy companies have more than doubled in the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2013 as people increasingly express their dissatisfaction at rising costs.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan added: “Whenever I speak to residents on the doorstep, energy costs are always one of their main concerns and they are looking for a much better deal. We need a more competitive energy sector as a whole and it is perfectly clear that there are huge savings to be made by switching to biomass and away from expensive oil. There are many households in Northumberland that could reap the rewards in terms of lower bills and an extra income.

“Biomass is the sort of renewable energy that I fully support. In fact we have a biomass boiler ourselves to meet our own heating needs. It is efficient, environmentally friendly and immediately helps to reduce the energy bill. I encourage others to look seriously at switching.”

The domestic RHI is a seven-year payment made to households, easily covering the cost of purchasing and installing a biomass boiler. Unlike some renewable heating appliances, biomass boilers are also suitable for a wide range of properties and require no alterations to existing radiator or under floor heating systems.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Finlay Magowan .