LEWTRENCHARD Manor Hotel has taken steps to increase its green credentials by installing biomass boilers to heat the entire hotel.

Intended to replace the former oil-fired system, it enables the country house hotel to turn its food waste into highly efficient fuel that it then burns onsite to generate heat for its heating systems and hot water.

Hotels have a high demand for heat with a mixture of restaurants, laundry rooms, kitchens and guest bedrooms.

By installing a biomass boiler Lewtrenchard can significantly reduce its energy costs, assisting with reducing the hotel's overheads and helping to generate an extra revenue stream through the Government's Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

The boiler was installed by company BioNova, based in nearby Okehampton.

Owner James Murray said: 'Food waste is a fact of life for all hotels but the beauty of BioNova's unique approach is that in just 24 hours from leaving the plate we can turn it into a highly efficient fuel that provides direct heat energy to our hot water systems.

'It's a much greener approach than driving our food waste around the country and the economics are much better too.'

The RHI, which was the first initiative of its kind in the world, encourages the installation of renewable heat equipment, which includes biomass boilers.

The RHI is a Government-backed scheme introduced in July 2011 to provide businesses and the public sector with cash back for the generation of heat, allowing renewable energy to be financially attractive as well as green.

The Government has allocated £860-million for the RHI but it has been allocated on a first-come first-served basis.