There has been some confusion lately surrounding Woodsure and the Biomass Suppliers List (BSL). We wanted to provide clarification so you understand how we operate the roles of each scheme. As Woodsure administers the BSL, payments may show on your statements as being sent to Woodsure, but the BSL offers different services to Woodsure. The two schemes are independent of one another and operate independently, with separate teams to avoid any conflicts of interest and impartiality. 

In short

For simplicity, it is easy to remember the schemes in this way:

• Woodsure is a fuel quality assurance scheme that provides certification of a fuel’s quality, sustainability, and legality.
• The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a scheme that provides a financial incentive to those using sustainable, renewable heating systems.
• The Biomass Suppliers List (BSL) is a scheme that supports the RHI scheme, ensuring that those receiving RHI payments have demonstrated relevant sustainability and legality requirements for their wood fuel.

Woodsure

Woodsure is a fuel quality assurance scheme that provides certification for fuels that have met stringent criteria, deeming them to be more sustainable. Utilising BS EN ISO 17225, Woodsure fuel quality assurance is applicable for firewood, briquettes, wood chip, hog fuel, and pellets. The Woodsure fuel quality scheme is suitable for meeting RHI requirements – all fuel used when claiming RHI must have quality assurance to the relevant standards.

Woodsure has the aim of improving the standard of wood fuel, being the only wood fuel quality assurance scheme in the UK.

Renewable Heat Incentive

The RHI scheme provides a monetary incentive to those utilising renewable heating systems with fuel that meets the sustainability criteria. The scheme is designed to reward those with quarterly payments for the renewable, sustainable heat that their systems produce. The BSL lists fuels that have been authorised – these fuels have been verified to meet the sustainability and legality requirements of the RHI scheme.

Biomass Suppliers List

The BSL is a list of wood fuel that has met the RHI scheme’s eligibility requirements. The BSL is an optional service designed to streamline procedures, making it easier to demonstrate to Ofgem that your fuel meets the relevant requirements, allowing you to claim your RHI payments.

The BSL supports the RHI scheme by ensuring that RHI payments are only issued when biomass boilers use wood fuel that meets sustainability and legality requirements. This includes calculation of emissions, reviewing your land criteria documentation, and fuel quality certification. Fuel quality certification is verified through a fuel quality assurance scheme, such as Woodsure.

Additionally, the BSL has an Advisory Panel, comprising of of stakeholders and different government bodies. The purpose of the BSL Advisory Panel is to provide advice and ensure the BSL continues to act in the best interests of participants in the biomass sector. Find out more information about the BSL Advisory Panel and their important role in the BSL on the BSL website.

Woodsure administers the BSL; the BSL is a list of wood fuel that has received certification to meet the RHI’s eligibility requirements (such as sustainability and legality). Woodsure and the BSL are closely related: wood fuel that is listed on the BSL must have wood fuel quality certification – this can be achieved through Woodsure. However, the BSL is not a quality assurance scheme.