Your biomass heating strategy for a warm, stress-free winter
The last six months have had a huge impact on every business, not just financial, but in terms of creating and adapting to new ways of working.
Heating your property has probably not been top of your priority list through the summer, but now is the time to plan ahead to ensure your biomass heating is not an issue this winter.
Our drivers, engineers and operational staff were key workers throughout the lockdown continuing to provide the essential service of heat to some of the most vulnerable sectors including hospitals and care homes. I’m pleased to say that COVID-19 had no negative impact on our ability to supply fuel and maintain biomass heating installations.
As we approach winter, many areas are facing restrictions again. The best way to protect yourself in uncertain times is, of course, to plan ahead. Shoring up regular, reliable fuel supply is the single best action organisations can take this winter.
Now is the time to consider signing up to a fuel supply agreement providing priority guaranteed delivery. Organisations which lock into a fixed price fuel supply agreement limit their exposure to any potential spot prices and availability. It’s also worth checking levels of pellet or chip in your fuel store. If you don’t have a contract in place, consider stocking up on bagged wood pellets to cover all options, particularly in the event of a long cold snap.
You should also get your boiler serviced or perhaps take up a service and maintenance contract which will mean you don’t need to worry about the ongoing care of your heat installation. You may decide a managed heat service is a good option ahead of the colder weather, meaning fuel supply, service and maintenance and remote monitoring is all wrapped up in one contract.
In summary:
- Check your fuel store
- Order fuel in good time, including bagged pellet if you have a pellet boiler
- Get the boiler serviced now
- Organise fuel orders and regular boiler servicing requirements
- Consider fuel and service contract to guarantee price and response times
Over the summer AMP has continued to invest heavily in quality and improving delivery lead times. Our wood pellet is ENplus® certified and our wood chip is certified by Woodsure, meaning it meets the highest quality criteria.. We have also further upgraded existing loading infrastructure at our regional depots and increased independent inspections of all biomass shipments. An automated logistics system continues to advance quality monitoring, meaning that drivers can immediately feedback quality issues if they come across them on a delivery.
From our perspective we have everything in place for the winter heating system including full stock of good quality, sustainable wood pellet and chip. I am confident that whatever the weather and this pandemic throws at us, we will continue to provide a reliable biomass fuel supply to our customers, ensuring a warm and trouble-free winter ahead.
You can find out more about AMP’s fuel supply agreements here and our Service and Maintenance offering here.
