Wealden MP Charles Hendry, a former Energy Minister, formally opened the newly installed biomass boiler at Laughton Lodge Community.

 

The new heating system serves 22 families in the community, eight offices and a large community building from a single wood chip boiler with fuel supplied from local woodlands.

Julian Morgan Jones, a recent resident of Laughton Lodge Community and boss of wood fuel supplier South East Wood Fuels, organised an educational launch event of the boiler.

The boiler system is part funded by the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and part of the push to get thousands of new wood boilers across the country to meet tough carbon reduction targets.

Julian said: “We are delighted that Laughton Lodge will now have a really efficient wood boiler on site. It’s great for the housing community and means lower bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions for everyone. It’s a win-win.”

Resident Ravi Sawney said: “As we are off the gas network, installing a gas boiler would have been expensive. The cost of heating oil has sky-rocketed and using wood for our heating means we are not only saving money but also supporting local businesses. Buying local wood, gives wood owners a financial incentive to manage their woodland and increase local biodiversity.”

Installers Douch Biomass and fuel suppliers South East Wood Fuels were at the launch on Friday to show others how they can benefit from clean and efficient wood heating systems.

Toby Douch said: “We are organising a demonstration of our boiler, along with some talks about how the Renewable Heat Incentive works. There are lots of companies out there who could reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions by using biomass and taking advantage of the government Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. We thought it would be great to get people along to give them really practical, down to earth advice about how biomass and Renewable Heat Incentive systems work. Care home owners, schools, landowners and farmers have all worked with us to benefit from this scheme.

“Boilers may not seem very exciting to most people, but when we explain that it means using local fuel and creating local employment, we find people become much more interested.”