For the purpose of providing domestic or community space heating as well as hot water, wood pellets are utilized in a number of countries all over the world as an alternative to LPG, oil, or other solid fuels. Due to the fact that they are more expensive, as well as the fact that they need to be manually loaded and periodically restocked, they are almost never utilized in preference to mains gas, unless the fact that they are green and CO2 neutral is a big issue. In addition to its usage in the heating of living spaces and the provision of hot water, wood pellets are also utilized as horse bedding due to the absorbency of the pellets and the relative ease with which they can be handled and stored.