'It's the way forward' GO GREEN Environment.

RUSSELL Mills is a man with a green vision for his business, John's Place 4 Pets, on Middlebrough's Borough Road.

He is installing a wood fuel boiler - but admits the decision is more about long-term carbon-footprint reduction than a pounds and pence saving.

Russell, pictured, said: "Wood fuel is the most efficient, lowest-cost form of heating. It's carbon neutral if you source the right fuel. Long-term, I want my business to be more sustainable and not reliant on fossil fuels. You're also not reliant on fluctuating gas prices. I'm doing it because I believe it's the way forward, people need to think more creatively because we are not going to be able to rely on oil and gas soon."

On a larger scale, Thorn Lighting, based in Spennymoor, invested pounds 200,000 in a 250KW wood boiler. A move to a far more efficient building has thrown a mathematical spanner in the works for calculating the boiler's payback period, but bosses who spent pounds 200,000 on the kit are watching its performance. Hugh King, from Thorn, said: "The thermal efficiency of the building has taken us by surprise. We hardly needed to use any heating throughout the winter because of natural light. Businesses need more encouragement to go green."