A Government scheme aimed at encouraging homeowners to invest in carbon-saving biomass boilers has led to a boom in business for installation firm Wessex Biomass.
The firm, based near Malmesbury, says it has seen a surge in inquiries since the Government extended the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme to domestic properties earlier this year.
Until then, RHI had been available only to commercial premises or domestic properties sharing a boiler. RHI was launched to help the Government reach its 2020 carbon reduction targets and to make the UK less reliant on imports of gas and oil. 
The move has helped homeowners slash thousands of pounds off fuel bills as well as helping dramatically cut carbon emissions.
The boost in business from the extension means Wessex Biomass, which installs biomass boilers that burn wood pellets, recently reached the milestone of installing 1MW production of biomass – the equivalent of reducing CO2 emissions annually by 300,000 tons.
Managing director Peregrine Nicholls said: “We’re immensely proud that so far we’ve replaced conventional boilers with biomass boilers, effectively removing 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year from the atmosphere.”
Mr Nicholls said two recent projects by his firm demonstrated the significant savings from the RHI extension. A recent installation into a six-bedroom farmhouse near Bradford-on-Avon will give the owner a guaranteed £58,299 over seven years while the owner of a four-bedroom house in Chippenham will benefit from £22,076.
“While our strapline ‘saving the planet one boiler at a time’ seems a little flippant, it is also quite serious as we do believe in helping reduce fossil fuel use and carbon emissions,” he added. “If our customers benefit financially whilst achieving those aims, so much the better.”
Pictured: David Sterling from Devizes with the boiler installed by Wessex Biomass
