Chances are you will have built a bonfire this week. But if you're living or working in a rural property you could be using wood fuel to heat it instead of expensive heating oil. With rising heating costs now might be the time to make the switch to wood fuel!

That's the advice from the Shrewsbury based environmental charity, Marches Energy Agency. They want to show residents of the Shropshire Hills area and beyond exactly how, this Thursday evening at the Long Mynd Hotel.

The "Autumn Bio-energy Fair" is being run as part of a European project called RADAR which welcomed over thirty international guests to visit renewable energy installations in Shropshire earlier in the year. Since then, research carried out as part of the project has indicated that the Shropshire Hills area could be self sufficient in energy from forestry and agricultural wastes. The results of this study will be briefly presented but the real focus will be on how this concept can go from being a theory to reality.

First hand advice from various organisations and installers will be available at the trade fair on 6^th November. There will also be the chance to discuss both supplying and using wood fuels.

Tristan Haynes, Technical Advisor at MEA said, "Of course wood pellets still cost money but heating the average rural home with them instead of oil could add up to a saving of over £400 per year with current oil prices. We want to help show people exactly how easy wood heating can be to use; everyone is welcome to pop in anytime between 5-8pm".

The hotel itself has even made the switch from heating with gas and oil to wood chip making it the perfect venue for such an event.

For more information on the event please contact Joe Bentley, at Marches Energy Agency, on 01743 277108 or email: joe@mea.org.uk

The project is being 50% funded by Intelligent Energy in Europe, the European Commission's programme for collaborative sustainable energy projects in Europe and has received significant assistance through the Regional Development Agency, AWM and its Rural Regeneration Zone.