Meet Bertha the Biomass Boiler.
Probably an understatement to say that choosing and installing Bertha was something of a journey. Biomass Boilers are not cheap by anyone’s standards. They are also a pretty new technology for the UK. Bertha is the third boiler we had installed over a 3 month period (coincidentally the coldest 3 months England has seen since 1963.) Paul spent a large part of his life during that time in the boiler room with Bertha; they had a fiery relationship in the beginning (but then she is Italian.)
Regrets? None at all…we have as much heating and hot water as we can use and it basically doesn’t cost us a penny under the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. The wood pellets we use are from a sustainable source and I am told it is a much more environmentally friendly option than oil or LPG (the usual options for rural dwellings.) Now that Paul has got to know Bertha better, she hardly ever lets us down. All our male visitors swoon over her beauty and impressive size.
(NB//we do have a clean, quiet, reliable and powerful backup AKA a gas boiler – it kicks in when the other boiler is under pressure or when it breaks down.)
A word of warning to those considering this option; biomass is not for the fainthearted. We (well I say we) have to order the pellets, unload the pellets (though Farmer Richard generally helps with his forklift) and tip them in to the boiler. You have to clean and service the boiler regularly. It is not something you can just forget about. Even so, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this option for anyone who quakes when they open their fuel bills.