Using wood-burning boilers that run on wood chips could halve businesses' fuel bills and reduce their carbon footprint, it's been claimed.

North East Wood Heat (NEWHeat) and Regional Development Agency One NorthEast are encouraging businesses to convert to wood chip burning as a clean, sustainable and efficient alternative to fossil fuels.

NEWHeat, a not-for-profit organisation, can offer firms impartial advice and look at how much they could save by converting to alternative power supplies, The Northern Echo reported.