As the Island’s largest timber processing company, Chessell Woodyard found itself with a massive job to do in the face of new Government regulations on selling firewood.
The Woodsure scheme stipulates that for environmental health reasons, all wood for fuel must now have a maximum moisture content of 20%.
Co-owner of the woodyard Sean Pooley explained that the new legislation involved a major investment in admin and audits for Chessell, until it received official accreditation in November 2020, and became the only company on the Island offering ready-to-burn, Woodsure certified fuel.
With energy prices rising sharply, more and more people are turning to woodburning stoves, and Sean says the woodyard has rarely been busier.
He and his team are always happy to offer advice on the best types of wood to burn, and says that given the right wood and using optimum burner settings, a woodstove can often provide cheaper heating than gas.
“We supply domestic and commercial customers all over the Island and some of them rely totally on logs for heating” says Sean.
Chessell’s wood is all FSC certified and locally sourced from the Island and the South Coast, and is supplied by the crate or half crate, as well as in convenient net bags.
The company has two vehicles out on the road every day, delivering to homes and businesses including restaurants – and not surprisingly, demand continues to grow.
It’s worth noting as Covid restrictions ease, that there are likely to be more environmental health inspectors out checking for compliance, so it’s probably time to ensure that anything you’re putting into your burner is Woodsure certified.
For more information about Chessell’s logs and other timber products such as fencing, cladding, decking & beams, visit the website www.chessellwoodyard.co.uk.