There’s been an extra warm welcome for the hikers, bikers and canoeists staying at Braich Goch, an historic coaching inn and bunkhouse at Corris in the Snowdonia National Park.
For the first time in more than four years the building has been warm all winter – thanks to a newly installed wood fuel heating system which is not only reducing heating bills, but helping to save the planet.

Owner Ann Bottrill switched from LPG to wood fuel to heat the roadside hotel and bunkhouse (www.braichgoch.co.uk) last autumn, with the help of a £7,000 Wood Energy Business Scheme grant which paid almost half the cost of the new system.
“It is a big building, and for the first time since taking over we have been able to keep it properly warm over the winter months,” said Ann, who moved into the 16th century inn after leaving a job in outdoor education in Nuneaton.

“Already we have reduced our costs over the old system, and now we are expecting bigger savings as more pellet producers come on line closer to Snowdonia,” she said.

Supply of the wood pellets needed for the fully automatic, 32 kilowatt Okofen Pellematic boiler, installed by Organic Energy of Welshpool, has never been a problem, but the length of the supply chain does impact on costs. Currently the 4 ton loads are delivered up from Bridgend, with a transport cost of £200 a trip.

The total cost of fuel this year is expected to come out at £1250 – compared to £3000 for LPG – but transport costs have added around £650 to the overall bill.

“Even with the additional costs we are saving between 10 and 15 per cent on our heating bills – and with lpg the place was never really that warm,” said Ann.

“Once the more local suppliers come on stream then we shall see some real costs savings – and of course the shorter lorry journeys will help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.”

Ann looked at all the options before going for wood fuel as part of the major renovation programme at the old inn, rejecting solar and wind energy while still looking at renewable carbon neutral alternatives to using fossil fuel. The boiler needs no attention, automatic auger feed from the 4 ton fuel store means turning the heat up is a switch of a button.

“It is a commercial decision, there are real cost savings to be made by switching to wood fuel, and it is a resource which can provide real long term jobs in Wales. But it is also important to me that we will be doing our bit to help address climate change,” she added.

Mike Pitcher, who heads the Forestry Commission Wales WEBS team, which is funded by the European Union and Welsh Assembly Government, said, “Ann did her sums and worked out that her business would be better off switching to wood fuel. It is a good business decision, and as pellet suppliers across Wales go into production I am sure it will become an even better one.

“The level of interest is accelerating all the time – largely thanks to rising fuel bills, but also because people are looking for secure local sources of sustainable energy, and they want to help make an impact on our carbon dioxide emissions.”

WEBS is managed by Forestry Commission Wales with Welsh Assembly Government and European Objective 1 and 2 funding. WEBS gives significant financial support to business - with grants of up to 48% towards the cost of the installation, and potentially the initial capital cost of wood chipping and pelleting machinery. Find out more at www.woodenergybusiness.co.uk or contact Mike Pitcher on 01970 821226.

Contact:

Mike Pitcher – WEBS: Tel 01970 821226

Ann Bottrill – Braich Goch Inn and Bunkhouse: 01654 761229

Guy Pargeter – Taliesin Communications: Tel 01970 832375