Get your biomass boiler winter ready!

At AMP we do all that we can to put our biomass fuel customers in a great position – by recruiting more in-house HGV drivers and locking in our fuel supply contracts early. However, regardless of this, we always advise everyone each year to order well in advance of Christmas.

With the great British weather being so unpredictable, a cold snap can cause quite a lot of disruption on the road and to deliveries. Therefore you will be best placed by ordering in advance. Signing up to a fuel supply agreement for your biomass boiler will also guarantee you the best options on reliable, frequent, deliveries throughout the heating season.

For those who place ‘spot’ orders, we would strongly advise planning when and how much fuel you need to order throughout the winter months and into spring. You will also need to place orders well in advance.

Don’t be left out in the cold this winter! Booking in regular deliveries will help ensure that you are never caught out or subject to price spikes during cold snaps when demand soars.

To avoid costly exposure to market fluctuations, organisations can fix biomass fuel supply costs through a fuel supply agreement. This will provide priority, guaranteed deliveries throughout the heating season. At AMP we work to a five-day delivery timeframe.

Forecasting the volume of wood fuel needed to service a biomass boiler is also important. This can fluctuate from one year to the next. A good biomass fuel supplier such as AMP can help to calculate accurate estimates for you.

Ensuring a good quality supply of wood fuel is one of the best things you can do to support optimal boiler performance. Ideally wood pellet should meet ENplus A1 certification which is audited by the European Pellet Council. Wood chip should be Woodsure Plus Quality Assured to ensure it meets the best possible standards. If you are claiming the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the supplier must be on the Government’s official Biomass Suppliers List (BSL). This proves that the fuel has been produced legally and sustainably.

Commercial biomass boilers require more care and attention than oil and gas boilers. Consequently it will pay dividends to sign up to a regular service and maintenance plan. Specialist engineers will optimise your boiler, helping to minimise downtime and maximise heat output. As well as planned maintenance, contracts should include emergency breakdown cover and access to a 24/7 support line. Regular biomass servicing is also the best way to maximise your RHI payments.

There are a range of different biomass boiler servicing plans available. These include annual, biannual and quarterly servicing. The number of times planned maintenance should be carried out depends on your organisation’s boiler usage levels, boiler types and boiler size. Ofgem also requires that organisations look after their boilers in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations. If you don’t, you risk losing your RHI during an Ofgem audit. The best way to ensure you meet the obligations of the RHI is through a regular service and maintenance contract.

If you’re already claiming the RHI but finding the ongoing paperwork an administrative burden, then you should consider getting expert help with this. Ofgem require quarterly reports about an RHI registered boiler’s renewable heat production. In addition they ask for notifications about any changes to circumstances – such as a change of bank account or personnel. Although these things might sound straight-forward, they can be quite time-consuming. Some companies, including AMP, can manage this ongoing paperwork for you. This will help ensure that you are not subject to any interruption to payments.

If you are finding managing your biomass heat installation too much of a burden, why not choose a Heat Contract? With a heat contract your supplier will take care of the entire management of your biomass boiler.

Many companies, including AMP, offer heat contracts which include automated fuel supply, planned and reactive maintenance, and remote monitoring to proactively address potential issues. Expert engineers will also maximise your biomass boiler’s efficiency and take care of your biomass boiler servicing. You simply pay for the heat you use on a kWh basis. You can also keep claiming your RHI.

Many businesses and organisations are now taking advantage of wrapping up their complete heat needs with a hassle-free heat contract. By putting the complete care of your boiler into the hands of biomass experts you will be able to concentrate on running your core business.