better generation

May sound a little low-tech but efficient wood stoves and boilers are worth thinking about if you live near a cheap supply of fuel. Providing the wood is from a well managed , local source, you can revert to the good old wood stove with a carbon-neutral clear conscience.

Wood pellets, chips or logs can be burned to power central heating and hot water boilers, or a stove to provide warmth in a single room. 

The benefits:

• A carbon neutral option: although burning wood releases CO₂, it is the same amount as was absorbed while the wood was growing. If a new tree is planted for each one burned, there are no overall carbon emissions.

• A good use for waste wood: burning wood can be a convenient means of disposing of waste that might otherwise be sent to a landfill site.

Key factors to consider:

• Storage space - you will need a large dry area close to the boiler to store your wood.

• Installing a flue - a vent which is specifically designed for wood fuel appliances, with sufficient air movement for proper operation of the stove is required. Your existing chimney can be fitted with a lined flue, which is relatively inexpensive.

• Complying with safety and building regulations - old or unusual homes may be an issue. For more information, see Part L of the Building Regulations, Northern Ireland and Section 3 of the Technical Handbooks, Scotland

• Smokeless zones -  if you live within a smokeless zone wood can only be burnt in certain exempted appliances. http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk/locations.php

• Planning permission - if your flue will extend 1m or more above the height of your roof, or your home is in a Conservation Area or World Heritage Site and you plan to install a flue on the principal elevation visible from a road you will need to talk to your Local Authority.

The costs:

• Stoves cost about £2000-£4000 including installation.
• A typical automatically fed boiler for an average home costs £5,000-£14,000 including installation and installing a suitable flue.
• Manually fed log systems are slightly cheaper.

The savings:

• up to 7.4 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year when a wood boiler replaces an oil fired system or 840kg for a standalone stove in a home heated using electricity.
• Replacing a gas or solid fuel system with a wood burning system you may end up paying more for your fuel
• Replacing oil or electricity you could save between £180 and £345 per year.

Wood costs often depend on the distance from your home to a wood supplier and whether you can buy and store wood in large quantities. If you have your own supply of wood fuel then this can significantly reduce your costs.