What did the WHA do for us?

The WHA is the UK trade association for the modern biomass heating industry. We bring together wood fuel suppliers, biomass boiler and stove installers and distributors, energy companies and developers. We are the largest wood and biomass heating trade association and we’re part of the REA.

We wanted to share with you our activities and why we think it is important for you to be a member.

Over the last year we have:

Responded to 9 Government consultations:

BEIS Review of Evidence on long-term decarbonisation
Design of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund
Energy Efficient Scotland: The Future for Low Carbon Heat for Off Gas Buildings
Consultation on VAT increase for energy saving materials (including biomass in domestic installations)
Non-Domestic RHI closure
Clean Heat Grant Scheme
Environmental Land Management Scheme
England Tree Strategy
Combined Heat and Power Consultation

Successfully lobbied Government to achieve:

Key worker status for biomass industry participants during the Covid-19 lockdown
Avoided ban on RHI support for urban biomass plants
Inclusion of biomass heat within Clean Heat Grant Scheme
6 month extension to the non-domestic RHI because of the pandemic

And we’ve also:

Engaged with all the political parties ahead of the 2019 general election
Had two meetings with Ministers, 16 with MPs and monthly updates with senior civil servants.
Produced the Bioenergy Strategy and launched it in parliament and participated in the Biomass Heat Works campaign.
Presented the findings of the Bioenergy Strategy at industry events including to the Committee on Climate Change,
National Grid Future Energy Scenarios, Biomass Europe and European Pellet Conference.
Regularly responded to negative press articles relating to biomass heat (6-8 press releases and many press engagements and comments)
Run 3 members meetings and 3 webinars
Distributed 24 e-newsletters with up to date announcements, policy information and biomass heat news
Sent 575 industry related tweets including campaigns on member promotion and Covid-19 lockdown activities.