If you use wood fuel, now could be a good time to get your winter requirements sorted.
Wood fuel prices typically start to rise as seasonal demand increases heading into the colder months. With wider energy and fuel prices currently higher, there’s potential for further pressure on the cost of wood fuel - including transport surcharges on some orders.
Your AF Renewables Team can procure a range of wood fuels at good prices, from BSL and Woodsure accredited suppliers, so it’s worth speaking to the team now rather than waiting for winter demand to build.
What can AF procure?
There’s more than one option when it comes to wood fuel. AF can source:
wood pellets – available in bagged or bulk quantities
wood chip – available as G30 or G50
recycled wood chip
straw pellets.
And we're achieving some significant savings for Members.
Over the last 11 months, we’ve saved AF Members an average of more than 13% on wood pellets, while wood chip has delivered an average saving of 6%.
Alternative fuels such as recycled wood chip and straw pellets can offer a more economical option, although they aren’t suitable for every system. Their higher ash content means boilers need to be correctly configured to handle them. For recycled wood chip, our average saving has been an impressive 53%!
Why buy ahead?
There are a couple of good reasons to look at your requirements now.
Firstly, seasonal pricing. Demand generally increases through late autumn and winter, which can put upward pressure on prices. Getting your fuel in place before that demand builds could mean avoiding some of those increases.
Secondly, quality. At this time of year, wood chip and pellets are generally at a good level of dryness, making autumn a sensible time to plan your requirements.
And with fuel prices rising, it’s possible we’ll see more fuel surcharges added to deliveries too. These may be added as a separate charge or included in the overall price per tonne.
Looking at your heating options?
If you’re considering changing your biomass setup, AF can help with that too. We work with suppliers who can install alternative wood fuel systems, including pallet boilers and log boilers.
Whether you know exactly what you need for winter or want to explore whether there’s a more economical option for your business, speak to your AF Renewables Team before the winter market really gets moving.