National Trust property to save £34,000 a year with switch to biomass

A National Trust owned property is set to save £34,000 (€39, 256) a year by switching to an environmentally friendly biomass heating system.

Knightshayes Court in Tiverton, Devon, is undergoing the switch to the new, sustainable heating system this spring. It’s part of the National Trust’s goal to get 50% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. There are currently forty projects underway as part of the Trust’s national Renewable Energy Investment Programme.

The house and stables will get rid of their existing oil consumption system and replace it with much more sustainable locally sourced woodchip. National Trust sites such as Saltram, Killerton, Cotehele and Castle Drogo have already installed biomass heating systems as part of the Renewable Energy Investment Programme. Nationwide, there are over 60 woodchip, pellet or log boilers installed at National Trust properties.

Switching to a system powered by locally sourced woodchip will save Knightshayes around £30,000 (€34,638.18) annually on the cost of oil, and over £4,000 (€4,618.77) a year on the electricity currently being used to heat the stables’ café and shop. The substantial savings will allow Knightshayes to re-allocate funds to caring for the house and surrounding parklands, and important conservation projects.

As part of the project, the property aims to transition to being able to supply its own woodchip, using available timber from nearby woodland at Knightshayes and surrounding Buzzards Estate.