How Much Does A Biomass Boiler Installation Cost?

The cost of a residential biomass boiler ranges from £3,900 to over £22,000 (including installation) depending on the boiler’s size, model, and automation features. Commercial biomass boilers often cost over £50,000, including installation.

Our essential biomass boiler cost guide covers prices and everything else you need to know – installation expenses, operating costs, maintenance, and biomass fuels.

To help you with your search, we kick off by highlighting some of the best biomass boilers on the market (with average prices, including installation):

• Froling SP Dual – £13,900
• Windhager LogWIN Premium – £15,500
• Viessmann Vitoligno 300-C – £13,800
• Grant Vecta – £12,000
• Froling PE1 Pellet – £11,900

What is the Average Cost of a Biomass Boiler?

The average cost of a biomass boiler is around £13,000 for a fully installed home boiler.

What is the commercial boiler installation cost? Commercial biomass costs vary widely. For example, a small garden centre may pay under £20,000 and a 50-room hotel could pay over £50,000 with installation.

When it comes to biomass boilers, there is a significant price difference between manual and automatic versions.

Automatic boiler

Automatic systems can cost up to double the price of manual models and typically use wood chips or pellets as fuel. 

They feature automated feed and cleaning systems and other automated controls. These systems are essential for properties with high heating demands where manual feeding is impractical. 

Manual boiler

In manual boilers, the biofuel is fed directly into the combustion chamber by hand. Manual models are typically smaller and burn logs (most commonly), wood pellets, and wood chips. They must be manually cleaned at least weekly.

Average biomass boiler costs

Here is an approximate guide to the average costs for different types and sizes of domestic units.

Type of boiler	Average boiler cost	Average installation cost	Average total cost
Small – Manual	£3,000	£2,000	£5,000
Small – Automatic	£6,000	£3,000	£9,000
Medium – Manual	£7,000	£4,000	£11,000
Medium – Automatic	£12,000	£5,500	£17,500
Large – Automatic	£15,000	£7,000	£22,000

Average commercial biomass boiler costs are as follows:

Size of business	Cost excluding installation	Cost including installation	Average cost with installation
Small	£5,000 – £12,000-	£8,000 – £16,000	£13,000
Medium	£13,000 – £24,000	£17,000 – £35,000+	£30,000
Large	£20,000 – £35,000+	£27,000 – £55,000+	£45,000+

If you want to compare prices for biomass boiler alternatives, see our guides on:

• Electric Boiler Installation Cost 
• How Much Does a New Oil Boiler Cost?
• LPG Boiler Installation Cost

How Much Does It Cost to Install A Biomass Boiler?

Installing a biomass boiler costs from £2,000 to over £20,000 depending on the boiler size, type, and job complexity.

At the higher end are automatically fed pellet boilers for commercial use, while small manual log boilers are at the lower end.

Several factors affect installation costs.

What factors influence the costs of installing a biomass boiler?

Boiler size

Bigger boilers usually take longer to install and connect. Fitting a 6 kW home boiler may cost under £2,500, while a 50 kW commercial unit could run to £15,000 plus.

Complexity of installation

The more complex the job, the more expensive it is. A difficult installation demands additional labour hours and more materials. Integrating the biomass boiler into your central heating system may entail modifying existing pipework, wiring, and the flue system. The process can be even more complex in bigger setups.

Automatic vs manual

Automated biomass boilers with automatic feeding and cleaning systems, as well as smart controls, are generally more expensive to install than manual units.

Chimney and flue costs

Biomass boilers require a flue that meets the regulations for wood-burning appliances – commonly an insulated stainless steel pipe. Your existing chimney may be suitable as a flue system, but it will likely need special lining to make it safe and legal.

Storage facility

Biomass fuels require ample storage space. Creating or repurposing a storage shed or silo adds to your boiler setup costs.

Relocating the boiler

The job becomes more difficult if your boiler must be moved to a different location on the property – to be closer to the biofuel store, for example. If major pipework and system reconfiguration are necessary, the cost of moving a boiler can run to several thousand pounds.

How Much Does A Biomass Boiler Cost to Run?

Operating a biomass boiler costs between £300 and £900 a year, and commercial running costs can exceed £5,000 annually. Your bill depends largely on biomass fuel prices, fuel type, boiler size, and heating demands.

Unlike gas and electric boilers, biomass boilers don’t burn fossil fuels. They are powered by renewable biomass, most of which comes from sustainable forests where a new tree is planted for every one removed.

The price of biomass fuel fluctuates over time and by type.

Wood logs

• Average price: £10 to £110 per tonne (the lower end assumes you can access free timber)
• Energy content (burn efficiency): 2,000 to 2,800 kWh per tonne

Logs are generally the cheapest fuel, especially if you can source them yourself from a forest or local area. However, they are the bulkiest to store and create the least heat per tonne. 

For batch-fed boilers, logs must be manually fed into the combustion chamber.

Wood chips

• Average price: £95 per tonne
• Energy content: 3,000 to 3,500 kWh per tonne

Wood chips comprise wood or waste timber processed through specialised wood-chipping machines. They usually contain more moisture than pellets and are not quite as space-efficient to store. 

While wood chips create heat more efficiently than logs, they generate less so than pellets.

Wood pellets

• Average price: £185 per tonne
• Energy content: 4,500 to 5,000 kWh per tonne

Pellets are the premier biofuel because they create heat most efficiently. They are made from wood by-products like sawdust and are densely compressed and dried. They are designed for easy delivery, bulk storage, and automatic feeding.

Biofuel costings

Many owners buy their fuel in bulk, storing enough for 4 to 6 months or longer. Like with most bulk purchases, this usually saves money.

The running cost of an average larger home with 10+ radiators and a section of underfloor heating, consuming around 18,000 kWh a year, is approximately:

• £510 using 8.5 tonnes of logs at £60 a tonne
• £570 using 6 tonnes of wood chips
• £786 using 4.25 tonnes of wood pellets

Commercial users can consume 100,000 kWh, equating to a running cost of over £4,350 using pellets (£3,167 using chips).

In kWh terms, biomass fuels cost between 3.5p and 6.5p per kWh. Here are the average fuel costs per kWh for other boiler types to help you compare:

• Gas: 6.24p
• Electricity: 24.50
• Oil: approximately 8p
• LPG: 12p-13p

How Much Does Biomass Boiler Maintenance Cost?

Biomass boiler maintenance costs, on average, £100 to £500+ a year. These boilers are relatively low-maintenance, although they benefit from a professional annual service like all boilers. Bigger systems should be monitored closely to ensure all elements are functioning properly. Many boilers have smart controls that will alert you to problems.

Ash removal is an important part of maintenance. Although the ash volume is very low relative to the wood burned, ash bins should be emptied weekly. Ash from these renewable heating systems is popularly used to fertilise gardens – a sustainability win! 

The boiler’s combustion chamber should be regularly checked and cleaned of ash buildup to prevent compromising combustion and performance.

Get A Biomass Boiler Quote Today

Are you ready to invest in an eco-friendly heating solution that doesn’t burn fossil fuels and reduces your heating bills? Request a free, no-obligation quote from the biomass boiler installation experts at Eco Happy.

Simply send us your details, and we’ll get back to you with everything you need. We can have your new biomass boiler installed within days.

FAQs

Are biomass boilers worth it?

Biomass boilers lower your carbon footprint and are powered by a sustainable fuel source, but their upfront capital outlay is high – more than double the cost of alternatives. Additionally, if you don’t have a reliable local biomass fuel supplier, running costs may become expensive and you could run out of fuel.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme can help offset these costs with grants of £5,000 towards biomass boiler installation costs. 

How long do biomass boilers last?

Good quality, well-maintained biomass boilers have a 20-25-year lifespan, and some may achieve 30 years. By comparison, a good traditional gas boiler should last between 15 and 25 years.

Why is the installation cost of biomass boilers higher than gas and oil boilers?

Installing a biomass boiler is often more complex than a gas or oil boiler installation. Biomass boilers are bulkier, and the setup requires fuel storage space and a specialised flue system. In addition, underground piping may be needed and many biomass boilers are automated, requiring extra electrical connections.

Final Thoughts

Classified as green boilers, biomass boilers are eco-friendly alternatives to gas boilers and oil boilers. To encourage low-carbon heating, the government provides grants for biomass boilers of £5,000 and heat pumps of £7,500.

Although the upfront installation cost of a biomass boiler is high, lower fuel prices compared to alternatives help you reduce your energy bills.