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EADT 24: Bury St Edmunds: Traditional Regency Hotel goes green with new biomass boiler that burns wood chips

20/03/2014

 

Thursday, March 20, 2014 
7:30 PM

One of the most traditional hotels in Bury St Edmunds is leading the way in green technology after it installed a new woodchip boiler in a bid to do its bit for the environment and save money.

The boiler has been installed at the Regency Hotel in Looms Lane, and will now provide all the hotel’s heating and hot water.

Owner Hugh Wagstaff has not spent a penny on the new boiler as he was able to purchase it under government sponsorship, which is offering such support for biomass energy schemes in a bid to make businesses across the country go green.

Mr Wagstaff said: “It’s a government grant that is supposed to save us money over a 20-year period, plus it’s environmentally friendly. Because they have to get the emissions down, this is one of the ways they’re doing it.

“It’s only been going for two weeks so it’s early days, but hopefully it’s going to save me money on my gas bill. If it helps the environment as well then it’s a bit of a no-brainer.”

Mr Wagstaff’s only investment in the boiler is the wood pellets which power it, while the hotel will keep its gas supply to power its cookers.

Mr Wagstaff added: “It’s just like an old shipping container, it’s quite a size, really – one of those things that needs to be seen to be believed.

“We just thought is sounded like a good idea and they said it would save us money. Of course the money comes into it and if it’s going to help the environment, then why not?

“We’re definitely one of the first in Bury in the town centre to have one, and I don’t think there’s any other hotels that have gone that way. It’s so far so good – it’s still early days about how it’s going to work long term, but they assured us it’s going to save money in the long run.”

Mr Wagstaff is following the lead of many of the country’s biggest businesses by installing biomass boilers, with Bernard Matthews recently announcing a £2.5million investment in 179 boilers to be placed at farms across Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.

There are a whole host of different grants available to businesses and charities to purchase biomass products.

For more information visit www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk