With the summer approaching, it might seem like a strange time to start worrying about lowering your energy bills.
In reality, now is the best time to take action to cut costs and do your bit for the planet.
Your boiler is one of the most important cogs in your home’s energy engine; but it is a cog that can be replaced for something much more efficient.
In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards using wood – yes, wood – to heat homes.
Here we take a look at so-called Biomass Heating Systems, and how they can help you save on your energy costs.
READ : What is Bio Energy?
How does a Biomass heating system work?
There are two main ways you can use wood – or biomass – to heat your home:
- The first, is a standalone log or wood burning stove which will heat a single room.
- The second is a biomass boiler that is connected to a central heating and hot water system to heat an entire property.
Traditional log burning stoves and fireplaces have been a prominent feature of homes for years, but this movement towards a fully integrated biomass boiler and heating system is a new concept designed to improve the energy efficiency of a property.
Generally, the biomass – which consists of wood pellets and other products – is fed into the heating system automatically using a fuel feeder.
This is then refilled at regular intervals providing a totally automated heating solution.
This is in stark contrast to log stoves that have to be filled with wood by hand.
READ : What is Geothermal Energy?
How do these biomass boilers work?
The biomass pellets are fed into a special chamber, where an electric probe ignites the material.
The combustion is then monitored via thermostats and a microprocessor to adjust the fuel supply and fan speed.
Gasses are then passed through a heat exchanger, converting the gasses to water which can then be circulated around your standard central heating system.
Because of this unique process, a biomass boiler can be more than 90% efficient than a traditional gas boiler or central heating system.
If you’re looking to save on your heating bills and reduce your carbon footprint then, biomass boilers really are a smart choice.
Moreover, biomass boilers are a great heating alternative for homes that are not on the main gas grid.
Owners of these properties can find themselves spending a small fortune having gas piped into their homes at regular intervals.
With an automated biomass boiler, there is no need to worry about running out of gas during a cold winter.
The cost of installing one of these energy efficient heating systems in your home is entirely dependent on the size of your home and whether you want it to provide all of the heating and hot water for your home.
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The smallest biomass boiler starts at around £4,000, but if you require an installation to look after all your domestic heating and hot water you’ll be looking at paying about £15,800.
Obviously, these are ballpark figures and will depend on a number of factors, so it is important to get a professional quote.
As you can see then, heating your home with a wood or biomass based system is one of the best ways to drive down your energy bills and improve your homes energy efficiency.
And once you begin noticing a real difference and saving money, you’ll wonder how you ever coped without one.