Typical prices for bulk purchase of fuels at domestic or small commercial scale, May 2011

All prices are prone to significant variation with geographical region, order quantities, overall contract size and duration, time of year, delivery distance and time, etc. Woodfuels in particular are available at prices both significantly above and below those quoted, and bulk prices will be subject to a minimum delivery size of perhaps 3-5 tonnes. Wood pellets bought in bags may be significantly more expensive than those bought in bulk.

Delivery method (speed of delivery) also has a pronounced impact on cost per tonne. It will be far easier, quicker and cheaper to tip a trailer into a chip store than to have to use a chip blower (for example). Additional expenditure on a chip store can have profound financial benefits over the lifetime of the installation.

The market for woodfuels is currently relatively immature which, combined with its unsuitability for long distance transport, supports considerable variation in prices from place to place. Figures have been chosen to represent the mean price achievable across the UK for a single bulk order of 5 tonnes of wood pellets or 10 tonnes of woodfuel quality chips. In the case of the latter however, the prices we see around the country and from different suppliers can vary by a factor of two or more, with £70 - £100 a typical range, but figures both above and below this are not uncommon. For some producers, prices may be subsidized by other activities.