Skip to main content

Guest house switches on to biomass boiler and cuts carbon emissions by 65%

The house has never been warmer, says owner.

The family-run Inverardran House bed and breakfast sits in the north of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in Crianlarich, the gateway to the Scottish Highlands.

John and Janice Christie are the proud owners of the seven-bedroom B&B and the separate two-bedroom holiday cottage next door that boast a 75% annual occupancy rate.

They approached our team for help in making the properties more energy efficient. At the time, heating in the main house comprised two coal-fired stoves connected to the central heating, while the cottage was heated with two storage heaters and two panel heaters.

Their annual heating bill was £6,700 with more than 40 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The couple were keen to switch to a biomass boiler that would not only save them money but would reduce their carbon emissions significantly.

They took advantage of our support and our independent assessment of their existing heating systems estimated that the heating bills could be cut by around £2,700 with their carbon emissions reduced by an impressive 26.7 tonnes a year.

That would be the equivalent emissions from an average car driving two and a half times around the equator.

The report they received recommended installing a 40kW biomass boiler to provide heating and hot water to the main house.

The couple made the investment with the help of a Scottish Government SME Loan, and with a payback period of seven years, they believe it has been money well spent.

John said:

“The bills have been cut and the house has never been warmer.”

Help for your business

Business Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to provide free, impartial support and access to funding to help small and medium-sized enterprises save energy, carbon and money

Whether you are just starting out on your energy-saving journey and need some pointers or are looking for expertise and funding to support your current plans, our team of experienced business advisors and energy-saving consultants are here to help. Get in touch today.

Get the case study sent straight to your inbox

If you liked this case study, make sure you sign up to our regular ezine, The Bottom Line. It’s an easy way to keep up to date with all the latest updates including grants and funding, free training, case studies, the latest blogs and other useful resources that can help your organisation improve its environmental performance, save resources and save money.