The UK Pellet Council has welcomed the launch of the Wood Fuel and Heating Association (WFHA), a new trade body established to provide coordinated representation for the UK's wood fuel and heating supply chain.
The WFHA brings together wood pellet, waste wood and chip suppliers, biomass boiler distributors, installers, maintenance providers and compliance specialists under unified advocacy. The formation addresses a longstanding coordination gap across the sector and provides a single voice for policy engagement with government and regulators.
Wood fuel heating supplies low-carbon renewable heat to homes, businesses and industrial facilities whilst supporting employment in forestry and rural economies. Biomass heating is particularly significant for rural and off-grid properties where heat pump deployment remains economically impractical or technically unfeasible, making it one of the few viable low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuel heating in those contexts.
The UKPC will maintain its focus on the wood pellet supply chain and management of the ENplus® certification scheme as National Licenser. The WFHA will represent the broader heating ecosystem and unified supply chain interests. Both organisations plan close coordination on policy and advocacy.
Neil Holland, Chair of the UK Pellet Council, stated that biomass heating plays a genuine but often overlooked role in UK carbon reduction and Net Zero delivery. He noted that biomass frequently remains excluded from policy discussions or is discussed only in power generation contexts rather than heating applications, where it delivers substantial value for customers, communities and rural economies.
Holland noted that two aligned organisations, each bringing distinct expertise and networks, strengthen the sector's advocacy position and unified message on biomass heating's role in decarbonisation.
Terence McCracken, Chair of the WFHA, stated that consolidating the entire supply chain under unified representation enables the sector to advocate for practical solutions with appropriate policy influence. He emphasised that established sector leaders' support demonstrates confidence in the initiative and commitment to collaboration, amplified expertise, and evidence-based government policy.
The sector has faced policy marginalisation as renewable heat discussions concentrate on heat pumps and electrification, with biomass heating's specific role for off-grid and rural applications receiving limited attention in policy design.
Wood Fuel and Heating Association launches to unify UK biomass sector
