Customer Interview: Neil & Kate say goodbye to biomass

Quick Summary: The Switch at a Glance

• The Property: 2-bed thatched cottage (built c. 1750) in Bedfordshire.

• The Problem: A temperamental, dirty, and high-maintenance biomass boiler with quadrupling pellet costs.

• The Installer: Brimstone Energy.

• The Solution: The tepeo ZEB – low-disruption, zero-emission heating that works with existing radiators and uses smart electricity to help lower running costs.

• The Results: Total relief, a clean utility area setup, and highly affordable smart charging via an off-peak Utility Warehouse tariff.

The Challenge: Saying Goodbye to Biomass

For off-grid homes, finding the right heating system can be a journey. When Neil and Kate Edgeley moved into their historic thatched cottage, it had barely any heating. Without a gas supply in the village, they initially opted for a biomass boiler, installing brand new pipework and radiators throughout the house. Unfortunately, the reality of living with biomass proved to be far from ideal.

Kate and Neil, tell us about the biomass boiler.

“Don’t remind me, or I’ll start shaking! Back in 2012, you could get a grant to help you install biomass. Along with this you got a reduction for a few years in the price of the pellets you burn in the boiler. It all seemed good, but it just wasn’t right for what we needed. The boiler broke down due to corrosion, the electrical system wasn’t easy to sync and relied on a clunky workaround, and the ignitors seemed to time their regular breakdown with the first cold snap. On top of this, it was dirty and needed cleaning, along with regular refilling of the pellets – plus the price of those pellets has quadrupled over the years! We needed an alternative.”

The Solution: Discovering the Heat Battery Boiler

The Edgeleys knew they wanted to transition away from biomass, but they also wanted to avoid a massive home renovation project. They needed heating that offered warmth, reassurance and progress without the stress, disruption or compromise.

Did you look at other electric heating options?

“We thought about Air Source Heat Pumps and electric radiators. Neither were right for us, mostly because they’d involve significant upheaval. All of our radiators would need to be changed, and we’d worked hard installing the pipework and radiators years before – we didn’t want changing our heating to grow into a renovation project. It was clear to us. The ZEB was the way to go.”

Where did you first see the tepeo ZEB? 

“We saw the ZEB at an interior design exhibition. This was back in 2022, and it was very much a ‘new technology’ at this point. But, for sure, I was interested in how it might work for us and I found out some information about how it worked and what was involved in installation.

So last year, while carrying pellets out to the garden in the freezing cold, we said that 2024 would be our last winter with the biomass boiler. It was time to properly look into switching to tepeo.”

And how did you research and choose the tepeo ZEB?

“The internet. Where else!? I found the tepeo website, phoned them and started picking their brains. I was impressed with their answers and liked the idea of using our existing heating infrastructure – the tepeo ZEB was described as a ‘plug and play’ replacement. It makes complete sense.

You charge the ZEB as a storage battery – the heat is there waiting for you to call on when you need it, ready to send around your existing central heating pipes.”

How did you get in contact with your installer, Brimstone Energy?

“We found the tepeoPRO installer map on the website and saw Brimstone were accredited and local to us.

When we spoke to Matt, he said the size of our house seemed perfect. He then came out to meet us, along with his wife SJ, and we talked the project through.

They’d already replaced biomass boilers with tepeo heating, and we felt confident working with them.”

The Result: Clean, Controllable, and Cost-Effective

Because the tepeo ZEB installs like a boiler, the transition was seamless. The family kept their hard-earned radiators and pipework, simply swapping out the dirty biomass system for a clean, smart heat battery.

Tell us about your tepeo heat battery boiler and the new price tariffs.

“Our tepeo ZEB sits nicely in our utility area, and Matt has just helped us access the tepeo app to track the heat battery storage and use.

The ZEB works with our old thermostat, so we won’t see any difference from our old way of calling for heat in the system. If we’re cold, we’ll just put the heating on as normal – the difference is we won’t have to carry bags of pellets to make it happen!

We’ve got a new electricity tariff with Utility Warehouse. There are off-peak price windows each day when using electricity from the grid is much, much cheaper. You can charge the full 40kWh ZEB capacity overnight, for hardly any money. Then, when you use it during the day, you’re using the stored electricity you paid very little for.

It’s good because it’s also got us thinking about when we set the washing machine or dishwasher!”

How do you feel now it’s all done?

“I feel relief. I’m approaching winter with a completely different outlook. I won’t be waking up wondering, ‘Is the heating working?’ and then have to go outside to try and sort it. It’s done. It’s clean. It feels good.”

Quick-Fire Q&A: Working with Brimstone & tepeo

What was communication like with Brimstone Energy?

“Brimstone’s communication was quick, clear and personal. Matt wasn’t salesy, he came and gave us the information we needed.”

How was the installation?

“They did what they said they would, and it was quick, neat and tidy – it took less than a week. It’s now September, long before the cold weather, and the work is all done. We’re ready for winter in good time.”

What’s your experience of working with tepeo?

“Having a network of tepeoPRO accredited installers is good for customers. The commissioning of the boiler was instant, the remote monitoring means they can see how our system is going, and we have Brimstone and tepeo to help us if we need them.”

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about the tepeo ZEB?

“Go with tepeo. It works, and you won’t need to change your radiators.

Do think about the running costs and extra electricity use – remember to look into the off-peak tariffs.

Then, think about the bigger picture. For us, installing separate battery storage to give us more control may well be our next project with Brimstone. Matt and the team can help with all areas of low-cost, green energy.”

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