Cost of Installing a Biomass Boiler
With the cost of living on the rise, it is no wonder people are trying to find ways to save on their energy bills. This can be done through installing a biomass boiler. Although they are seen as an investment as they can be expensive, they can help reduce your energy bills and can even reduce your carbon footprint as they do not produce as much carbon dioxide.
If you are looking to install a biomass boiler, it is best to conduct some research before committing to such a large investment. For those unsure on biomass boilers and how much it costs to install then this article will tell you everything you need to know about biomass boilers and the costs associated with installing one in your home.
How much does it cost to install a biomass boiler?
Biomass boilers are generally pricier than the average gas or electric boiler with prices ranging between £4000 to £20000. The cost of the biomass boiler will depend on the model, size and fuel type you choose to install in your home.
A biomass boiler installation including labour costs for an automatically fed boiler can cost anywhere between £12000 to £14000. However, if you have a tighter budget then opting for a hand fed furnace might be the best option as it can save you around £6000.
Below are the average costs for installing a biomass boiler:
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TYPE OF BIOMASS BOILER
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AVERAGE COSTS |
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Small manual log fed boiler |
£3000 to £6000
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Large manual log fed boiler |
£8000 to £15000
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Small automatic pellet fed boiler |
£800 to £1200
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Large automatic pellet fed boiler |
£15000 to £22000
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Labour Costs and Timescales
Installing a biomass boiler can take anywhere between a few hours to 2 days to install depending on the size of the boiler and the type of boiler you choose.
The quickest biomass boiler to install is a small hand-fed boiler which takes between 6 to 12 hours to install. As larger automatic biomass boilers are larger and more complex to install, they can take up to 2 days to install depending on the difficulty. If any problems or issues are found when installing a biomass boiler, the time it takes to install will increase.
If you have already supplied the boiler yourself, then you may be wondering how much it will cost solely for the labour costs of a biomass boiler installation. Well, labour costs differ due to your location or the engineer you choose, however the average daily labour costs for installing a boiler range between £200 to £250. If your boiler takes around 2 days to complete, it can cost up to £500 in labour costs.
Cost Factors
There are many factors that can affect the total cost of installing a biomass boiler. So, if you are looking to install a biomass boiler, then here are some additional cost factors to be aware of.
Size of your home
As a boiler is installed to heat your home, it is no surprise that the bigger your home is, the larger and more powerful your biomass boiler needs to be. Also, you may need to run your boiler for longer to ensure that your home is heated effectively which may increase energy bills.
Choice of fuel
There are 3 main types of fuel for biomass boilers: logs, wood chips and wood pellets. Each have their own advantages and price points, so it is up to you which fuel type is best for your home.
Logs
Logs are generally the cheapest of the three fuel types, but they do require a lot of effort to fuel the boiler. This is because logs must manually fed into the boiler usually once every day. Different woods have different burning time so if you are looking for wood to burn longer, then hardwoods, which are denser, like oak, beech and ash are the ones to choose. Softwoods like pine do not burn as long and are perfect if you want to heat your home for a short period of time.
The cost of logs range between £80 to £200 per cubic metre with prices varying depending on the type of wood you choose.
Wood Chips
Another affordable fuelling choice is wood chips. This type of fuel is perfect if you live in a rural area and are able to fell trees yourself. Although, if you are going to fell your own trees you will need to purchase a fuel-grade chipper to be able to use the wood for fuel. Alternatively, you can hire a woodchipper for around £200.
If making your own wood chips is not for you, then you can buy wood chips at around £80 to £110 per tonne.
Wood Pellets
As pellets are denser than both logs and wood chips, they are the most effective fuel choice for biomass boilers. Pellets can even hold up to 3.5 times more energy than both logs and wood chips.
Due to this, wood pellets are the pricier fuel option costing anywhere between £150 to £225 per tonne. Depending on the delivery option, the price can vary. The cheapest is if the wood pellets are tipped on to your property, another option is if it is delivered in a storage unit, and finally the most expensive is if the wood pellets are delivered in bags.
Fuel Storage
In contrast to ordinary boilers, the fuel for a biomass boiler will need to be stored in a secure place in your home. The perfect storage place for fuel should be dry and free of dust as wet logs, chips or pellets are useless and dust can cause blockages inside your boiler which could lead to breakdowns or higher servicing costs.
Servicing Costs
The problem with biomass boilers is that they produce ash when burning. However, if you purchase a higher quality fuel then your boiler should produce less ash. The ash can should be emptied a couple times each month so that it does not get blocked up.
The cost for servicing a biomass boiler can cost anywhere between £180 to £450 depending on your location, type of fuel or type of boiler. Like most boilers, biomass boilers should be serviced at least once a year for them to stay reliable. If your biomass boiler is used quite frequently, then you may need to service your boiler more often.
Types of Biomass Boilers
There are many types of biomass boilers available on the market today and it can be hard to choose which one is right for your home. To ensure you pick the right boiler for you, take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each including the costs of each type of biomass boiler.
Log-fed Biomass Boiler
Log-fed boilers are usually much cheaper than automatic biomass boilers and are perfect for those with easy access to firewood. Although they are a less expensive option in comparison to automatic biomass boilers, firewood must be hand fed into the boiler which can be quite a time-consuming process. It can also be very cost-effective if a proper buffer tank is fitted as it can reduce energy bills, especially in larger homes. The average cost of a log-fed biomass boiler is between £6000 to £8000.
Moving Grate Biomass Boiler
A moving grate biomass boiler is a high-end option as they tend to be the most expensive type of biomass boiler to install. This boiler is perfect for homes with a lot of empty space as this boiler comes with a large combustion chamber and multiple additional components not seen in other types of biomass boilers. Through the use of mechanical grates, the chamber mixes the fuel and removes any excess moisture so that the fuel can create more heat and burn more effectively. As these boilers are the most expensive you can expect to pay between £12000 to £14000.
Plane Grate Biomass Boiler
If you have a smaller home, then a plane grate biomass boiler is the perfect choice as it has a small combustion chamber. However, due to its small chamber, drier fuel materials with low moisture content must be manually fed into the furnace. As the fuel materials need to be high quality, dry and have low moisture content, they can make running a plane grate boiler system quite expensive to run. A plane grate biomass boiler typically costs between £5000 to £8000.
Stoker Burner Biomass Boiler
If you are looking for a simple and straightforward biomass boiler, then a stoker burner boiler is the choice for you. Not only is this type of boiler one of the more affordable options, but it is also widely available on the market and has a small combustion chamber so it can fit in smaller homes. However, like a plane grate biomass boiler, a small combustion chamber will require high quality, expensive, dry fuel materials. A stoker burner biomass boiler can cost between £4000 to £6000.
Batch Fired Biomass Boiler
In batch fired biomass boiler systems, fuel is fed into the combustion chamber every day, so more manual labour is required than other types of biomass boilers. Rather than continuously burning fuel, a large batch of fuel is incinerated with separate fans to ensure that all of the material is burned. The main disadvantage to batch fired biomass boilers are that they are less efficient and require more effort, due to the manual labour, than automatic systems. This type of biomass boiler tends to cost between £3000 to £7000.
