Pros and Cons of Wood Pellet Boilers in the UK (2024)

Q: Are there wood pellet boiler grants in the UK?

Yes. Grants like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and ECO4 can help cover the cost of installation and purchase.

Q: How many wood pellets does it take to heat a house?

2 to 3 tonnes per winter. While this may sound like a lot, it is cheaper per kWh than gas in many regions, such as those that require gas or LPG deliveries.

Q: How long will 1 ton of wood pellets last?

1 ton of pellets will last 2 to 3 months or roughly half a winter. These can cost between £300 to £450 per tonne although this can vary based on several factors.

Q: Are wood pellet boilers cheaper to run?

As gas prices fluctuate, wood pellets often become a better option but this can vary. Wood pellets are generally more stable in their price but have gotten expensive due to macroeconomic factors.

With the constant rise in prices of oil and fossil fuels, many homeowners have started looking for alternative ways of heating their more budget-friendly homes. One of the options that is gaining popularity is an investment in a wood pellet boiler. Wood pellet heating is a new and modern solution consisting of a range of decorative stoves and boilers for your home.

Wood pellet biomass boilers cost less than other biomass boiler types on the market, making for both an energy and cost-efficient means of heating your home.

The pros and cons of biomass boilers are numerous, which is why we researched and examined several wood pellet boiler reviews. A boiler like the wood pellet boiler is a great alternative to gas boilers, electric combi boilers, or oil combi boilers, for example.

Whatever boiler you need, you will have to find the right prices from reliable installers. You can spend days searching for manufacturers and local installers while going through boiler reviews on your own. This, however, can be time-consuming, tedious, and stressful when done alone.

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Learn More in Our Guide

What is a wood pellet boiler?
Advantages and disadvantages of wood pellet boilers
Is a wood pellet boiler worth it?
FAQ

What is a wood pellet boiler?

Pellet stove boilers are a sub-category of biomass boilers, much like wood log-based and wood chip boilers. Wood pellet boilers cost £4,000 to £15,000 in the UK, excluding the installation costs. Comparatively, they tend to cost less than most other types of biomass boilers, even though the costs can seem high in contrast with gas boilers.

Cost of wood pellet boilers in the UK
Type of boiler	Price	Installation cost
Biomass	£4,000 to £15,000	£2,000 to £7,000

Domestic wood pellet boilers are more expensive than standard boilers but they are also very environmentally friendly while providing a fuel source that is generally less prone to price fluctuations (due to its renewable nature), unlike gas.

However, the running costs of pellet boilers have changed dramatically in the past few years, going from £300 to £400 per 1000kg on account of the war in Ukraine (prices from 5 years ago indicate prices as low as £200 to £300 per 1000kg). Producing wood fuels is easier than most other types of fuel.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood pellet boilers

The Pros

Wood fuel is easy to produce: Wood pellets are composed of leftover wood material and are usually economically competitive with other fuels used for heating. Prices of wood pellets are often stable however, that does not mean they are entirely unaffected by price increases such as the 2023 price hike due to the war in Ukraine.
Pellets can be convenient: Wood pellets are small in size, and boilers can be fed through an automated system. They are easy to store and produce a minimal amount of ash.
Wood pellets are environmentally friendly: They are a sustainable fuel source and wood pellet boilers are a low carbon heating system: they will not produce carbon dioxide emissions to harm the environment. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the burning process is equivalent to the amount absorbed during the growth of the trees. There are even biomass boiler grants to help support your investment.
Energy-efficiency: Wood pellet boilers are energy efficient. They require minimal user input and most of the boilers include a self-cleaning system.
Renewable fuel source: Wood pellets are a renewable energy source. They are produced from wood waste and forest-thinning byproducts. According to research and wood pellet boiler reviews, wood pellet heating will remain indefinitely as a renewable energy source.
Supports local businesses: A wood pellet heating system supports local economies. Most of the used wood pellets are produced locally which means that they provide more jobs for local people that can lead to energy independence.

The Cons

Wood pellet boilers require frequent maintenance: Even if the majority of modern boilers include self-cleaning systems, the heat exchanger must often be brushed to have the highest working proficiency. Additionally, ash bins need to be regularly emptied.
Storing in bulk can be tricky: Storing wood pellets requires large storage spaces. It is always cheaper to order plenty of wood supplies, but you might need up to 200 cubic feet to store it.
Boilers have high initial costs: Initial costs of wood pellet boilers can be around £10,000 which is quite high as compared to traditional gas, oil boilers, or combi boilers. The boiler’s cost on its own can be between £4,000 and £15,000, but it is difficult to calculate the final price because it often depends on various factors such as size and wood fuel type.
Slow to start heating: Biomass boilers can take time to start heating properly. This could be an inconvenience for some people, especially in colder regions.

Is a wood pellet boiler worth it?

Wood pellet boilers are a renewable energy, efficient, source of energy but machines can be quite expensive. They can greatly reduce your carbon footprint and provide you with clean energy. While prices for wood pellets can fluctuate, they are never as volatile as gas prices.

A wood pellet boiler can be worth it with the help of various grants that can help cut down on the costs of a boiler. Wood pellet boiler grants and subsidies can help on this front if cost is the main prohibitive factor.

Grants like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and ECO4 scheme can be handy for procuring a wood pellet boiler in the UK. Both help pay for more efficient heating systems, while other programs like the NEST scheme in Wales apply to types of boilers other than biomass.

Now that you are aware of the pros and cons of biomass boilers such as the wood pellet heating system, you can easily decide if this will be a suitable option for your home.

An essential thing to do before investing in a new wood pellet heating system is to compare prices and suppliers. Examining wood pellet boiler reviews can be tiresome and a daunting task that takes hours.

GreenMatch can make this entire process much smoother and painless. You can request up to 3 quotes free of charge and without any obligation. It only takes a few minutes to fill out the form and get quotes suited to your personal needs.