Householders can elect for a standard boiler for heating and hot water, a stove with a back boiler or stand-alone wood-burning stoves (these only provide local heat).

Most wood pellets are made from the reconstituted by-product of saw mills so they already offer the advantage of being recycled.

Another advantage is that they currently cost about 33% less than oil or gas and, because the pellets tend to come from sustainable forests, there should be no issue with supply into the future (indeed, the costs may well come down as the popularity of wood-pellet heating increases).

This form of heating has become particularly popular thanks to the entry of Kedco into the Irish market.

Prior to this, the SEI grant covered a smaller percentage of most woodpellet boilers but Kedco boilers are about 80% covered by the fixed grants, making the proposition that much more attractive for people looking to switch.

However, there are some caveats to installing a wood-burning system.

One is that most people will require a tank (like an oil tank) in their garden, although boilers can be filled and refilled with bagged pellets (more time consuming). Most people will need to empty the grates of the boilers semi-regularly.

Perhaps the greatest problems lie in the supply of pellets - the boiler market has grown faster than anticipated. But Kedco promises that none of its customers will be without pellets and they also supply pellets to non-Kedco customers.

Contact Kedco on 021 4670427 or visit www. kedco. ie