Month: March 2024

Ready to Burn certification provides assurance that wood fuel sold in volumes of under 2m³ has a moisture content of 20% or less. However, Ready to Burn certification is not a demonstration of fuel quality. 

What is the Biomass Suppliers List? 

The BSL is a list of wood fuel that has proven it meets the eligibility requirements for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. The BSL allows RHI participants to easily demonstrate to Ofgem the fuel used in their biomass boilers meets the sustainability criteria required to claim RHI payments. The BSL has been administered by Woodsure since 1 July 2021, with the team that administer BSL operating independently of the team that handles Woodsure and Ready to Burn certifications. 

When and how is fuel quality added to the BSL? 

The BSL allows you to make an application for a fuel, where the relevant requirements are considered, such as: 

• Calculation of emissions 
• Land criteria documentation review 
• Fuel quality certification (such as Woodsure fuel quality) 

If your fuel meets the relevant requirements, you are provided with a BSL number which is used to help self-reporting with the RHI or can be given to your customers so they can claim their RHI. 

Ready to Burn does not qualify for fuel quality 

Ready to Burn is a scheme administered by Woodsure on behalf of Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Ready to Burn certification is required for any business that sells wood fuel for domestic use (in England) in volumes of under 2m³, since legislation came into force 1 May 2021. 

Ready to Burn certification does not provide a fuel quality grading like the Woodsure scheme; the certification is considered lighter touch, only having minimal requirements to meet the requirements of legislation. Due to this, having Ready to Burn certification for your fuel does not meet the fuel quality requirements for the RHI and can’t be used to support a BSL application. 

Do I need to be on the BSL? 

Although there are situations where the BSL is required, such as if you wish to sell fuel, the BSL is an optional service. Using the BSL makes certification of a fuel to claim the RHI easier and more accessible.  

If you are unsure if you need BSL certification to claim RHI, please contact the BSL Helpdesk at 01684 215253 or email the team at helpdesk@bsladmin.org. 

Membership fees are charged starting at the beginning of the year at a fee based on your declared company size. 

• For Self-Suppliers, this is an annual fee charged upfront on January 1. 
• For Producer-Traders, this fee is broken up into four quarters throughout the year starting with Quarter 1 on January 1. Producer-Traders must also submit their quarterly reports for the previous quarter at this time. 

This is a flat fee based on company size, regardless of how many active fuels you have listed on your account. 

Membership fee by company size  

Individuals – £25 + VAT  

Small and micro companies – £120 + VAT  

Medium and large companies – £295 + VAT  

Quarterly reporting data  

Quarterly reporting data will be accepted from the first day of the month following the end of the reporting quarter and must be submitted within 30 days.  

Quarter	Reporting quarter	Submission period
1	1 January – 31 March	1 April – 1 May
2	1 April – 30 June	1 July – 31 July
3	1 July – 30 September	1 October – 31 October
4	1 October – 31 December	1 January – 31 January

For example, you will report on wood fuel sold between 1 October – 31 December in Q1. You have until 30 January to submit this report.  

Payment timings 

You will need to pay the application fee after you enter all the information needed for your situation. For Self-Suppliers, these are only the terms and conditions to ensure continued compliance with the rules of the BSL and confirming that information is up to date. For Producer-Traders, this is your quarterly report as well as terms and conditions. This will then allow you to make payment – either by PayPal or BACS.  
Payment is due on or before the end of the reporting quarter +30 days, not +30 days from the date you have submitted your quarterly report. Submitting your quarterly report late does not allow you to delay your payment date.  For example, when paying your Q2 fee, your payment is due by 30 July. If you submit your quarterly report late, on 5 July, your payment is still due by 30 July. 

Failure to comply with payment terms will lead to a fifteen-day suspension of the fuel as ‘notice of removal’. If a payment is not forthcoming within those fifteen calendar days, the fuel may be removed with no further communication. 

Can I submit late?  

Late submissions of quarterly figures may be accepted in exceptional cases where prior permission is applied for from the BSL Administrator. Any person wishing to apply for such an exemption should contact the helpdesk as far in advance of the due date as possible, and never later than the due date +45 days. 
 
The BSL helpdesk will take details of the length being requested, the reason, and any supporting evidence. The helpdesk will confirm to the applicant in writing the outcome of their request, usually in a maximum of five working days. Dispensations will be strictly on a case-by-case basis. Since the veracity of evidence will likely be difficult to validate, all such requests will have an impact on the Supplier’s risk profile. 

It is crucial to keep your contact details up to date, including your email address and phone number. You can also manually add another user to your account for additional contact details. If you wish to change the master user’s details, please email us via the master user’s email account, providing the new contact information.  

If you have any further questions, please contact the BSL Helpdesk on 01684 215253 or email the team at helpdesk@bsladmin.org.