Budgeting for a Biomass Boiler
There are essential elements to consider when thinking about converting to using a biomass boiler system. At the very beginning, a critical point of deliberation is whether you are working with a realistic budget or an idealistic wish list.
Planning your biomass boiler installation is essential, from our initial consultation to the proposal, then the installation, every property is different and has varied requirements, so it is important to give consideration to what you want to ideally achieve.
From our perspective, the first site visit is the most important meeting. The site visit will act as a basis for the solution/plan recommended for the installation.
Each project we take on board will be designed personally for you.
Your site visit includes two key areas of consideration.
What are the property areas and functions required? It is really important to understand the rooms and areas that will need to be heated, what temperatures are required and the volume of hot water requests (showers, baths, etc), and the potential fuel you wish to use.
We can then provide recommendations of boiler type, design, and size to suit your personal and property requirements.
For any questions that you may have, our team of experts will answer.
At DC2 Engineering we know that the next stage is the thought process for the investment. We understand that many people may have an initial budget in mind when they first make contact with us.
It is very important that we openly establish this so that you can be clear about the realistic investment required and we can provide you with the best-suited solution for your budget.
During this stage in the thought process, the potential investment required can be split into three areas of consideration.
Firstly, the actual budget is the realistic amount of money that you are happy to invest into your new biomass boiler and associated works
Secondly, the wish list – includes things such as the fuel ideally required (logs/wood chip/pellets) positioning, auger/hopper, size, etc
Finally, there is the priority list, which is a list of all the components that you need and must have included in your biomass boiler installation, this will be a list that can not be compromised on to ensure your boiler is installed perfectly.
At DC2 Engineering, we believe that you should never have to compromise on quality, regardless of your allocated budget and we will ensure we find the perfect fit for your property.
Which Fuel Will be Most Suitable?
Your fuel choice will be dictated by the type of biomass boiler you opt for; each option varies in cost.
Logs
Though the cost of logs is more affordable than pellets or wood chips, it will require more effort on your part, as the logs must be manually fed into the biomass boiler—usually every day.
Logs are usually sold by cubic metre, rather than by tonne, usually, the cheapest way to use logs is to utilise your own supply or contact your local wood fuel supplier.
For more information on how to choose logs for your biomass boiler, see this Forestry Commission guide.
This is the most carbon natural form of heating.
Wood Chips
Wood chips are also an affordable source of biomass fuel—particularly if you live in a rural area and you can fell your own trees or use a local wood chip supplier or even a tree surgeon.
We recommend, from the BSL list as a local supplier, Dyfed Powys Wood Fuels.
Their chip is from sustainable timber with fully recorded traceability and is BSL-approved.
They provide wet or dried wood chips for Biomass Boilers and screened wood chips suitable for CHPs:
Virgin Log Chip P31 size, Moisture up to 25%
Whole Tree Chip P31 size, Moisture up to 25%
CHP screened chip P31 size, moisture up to 10%
Deliveries
They weigh and record the moisture content of each delivery to guarantee the specification required, typically (20% +/- 5%).
They also deliver all woodchips to your site using a variety of lorry and trailer sizes depending upon your needs and requirements
Wood Pellets
Pellets are far denser than logs and wood chips, and so they’re the most efficient fuel choice for biomass boilers. Pellets can hold up to 1.5 times more energy in fact.
This also makes them the most expensive type of biomass fuel.
The cost varies depending on whether the pellets are tipped out onto your property (less expensive), delivered into your storage unit using a blown system, or delivered to you in bags (most expensive).
Whichever fuel you choose, you should only purchase biomass fuels through a supplier that is certified by HETAS or Woodsure, as this ensures that your fuel is high quality, and doesn’t contain too much moisture or harmful contaminants that could compromise your boiler and pollute the air.
You will find our recommended supplier, Dyfed Powys Wood Fuels (01550 777717) on the government’s approved Biomass Suppliers List.
Maintenance and Servicing Ongoing Costs
Burning biomass logs, wood chips, or pellets create ash, the reason to ensure that you need to be mindful to buy high-quality fuel, is that your boiler will produce less ash.
At DC2 Engineering we recommend as a minimum that biomass boilers need to be serviced at least once a year or every 2000 heating hours.
How Can I Save Money?
Choosing a biomass boiler should be considered an investment, although the initial investment can be considered a big budget it is worth looking at how much you could save by switching to biomass. The following details are from the Energy Savings Trust (May 2022) and relate to potential savings in England, Wales, and Scotland:
| YOUR CURRENT HEATING SYSTEM | POTENTIAL SAVINGS FROM SWITCHING TO BIOMASS | POTENTIAL CO2 SAVINGS FROM SWITCHING TO BIOMASS |
|---|---|---|
| Older Gas Boiler (G-rated) | £445 to £450 | 5,500 to 5,800 kg per year |
| Newer Gas Boiler (A-rated) | -£180 to -£210 | 2,900 to 3,050 kg per year |
| Older Electric Storage Heater | £1,270 to £1,350 | 3,900 to 4,150 kg per year |
| Newer Electric Storage Heater | £700 to £730 | 2,800 to 2,950 kg per year |
| Older Oil Boiler (G-rated) | £425 to £440 | 8,500 to 9,000 kg per year |
| Newer Oil Boiler (A-rated) | -£265 to -£295 | 4,500 to 4,750 kg per year |
| Older LPG Boiler (G-rated) | £1,360 to £1,420 | 6,600 to 6,900 kg per year |
| Newer LPG Boiler (A-rated) | £355 to £360 | 3,550 to 3,700 kg per year |
| Coal | £380 to £395 | 11,300 to 12,000 kg per year |
Please note this guide is for your information only. The figures above are based on converting an existing heating system to a pellet biomass boiler in a 4-bed detached house with basic insulation. Source: Energy Savings Trust.
What Affects the Cost of a Biomass Boiler?
Biomass boiler costs can vary quite considerably in cost.
We will take a more detailed look at the elements that influence the overall cost of installing a brand new Froling biomass boiler or high-quality second-hand biomass boiler.
The Size of Your Home
With no surprise, the size of your property will have the most significant impact on the cost, as the larger the property, the more powerful the boiler you will need to have installed.
Ideally, you should not look to save money on this part, as you want to be able to run the boiler in comfort, keeping each room temperature as required, be this a standard domestic property, an industrial or farm building, or a variety of different properties all on one boiler, estate or a commercial enterprise.
Boiler Output and Design
The biomass boiler costs will too depend on the output (kW) and design/fuel type of the boiler.
The cost of your biomass boiler also depends on the design and the brand, we are the main installers for Froling boilers.
Froling has been established for over 50 years and uses state-of-the-art, efficient biomass heating technology, in fact, considered a leader in the technology
Froling has specialised in the efficient use of wood as a source of energy and is a pioneer of state-of-the-art wood heating systems. Today the name Froling stands for modern biomass heating technology.
Froling’s firewood, wood chip, and pellet boilers are being used successfully all over the world. All of the products are manufactured in their factories in Austria and Germany.
The design options for all the boilers take into consideration the use and your own requirements, such as automatic feeders, and manual, it is important to know that log boilers are always manually fed.
Also, a manually fed system will be more affordable than an automatically fed system.
Within the cost considerations, there is the question of whether it be with an integrated hopper or a manually fed auger.
Also, we will discuss with you the best storage site, whether that be above ground, an additional room, below ground, or an outbuilding.
Are Biomass Boilers Expensive to Run?
To give you an idea of biomass boilers and their running costs, below are our price estimates for 2022 as compared to other energy sources:
| FUEL TYPE | ESTIMATED AVERAGE PRICE PER KILOWATT HOUR (KWH) IN ENGLAND, WALES, AND SCOTLAND | |
| Biomass Pellets BiomassChip BiomassLog | 9.5p 4.5p 3p | |
| Electricity | 48p | |
| Gas | 27p | |
| LPG | 12p | |
| Oil | 10p | |
| Coal | 23p |
