Zero emissions boiler trial gets underway

Available to a small number of customers in London, the South East and the East of England, NeatHeat will trial a low emissions solution for homes that may be unsuitable for heat pumps. The Zero Emissions Boiler (ZEB) has a heavily insulated ceramic core, which essentially acts as a heat battery. Generally charging overnight when electricity rates are lower, the ZEB will charge at 12p per kWh for the duration of the trial, said to be a first-of-its-kind ‘type-of-use’ tariff bolt-on provided via Ovo. UK Power Networks will monitor how the heating system interacts with the grid, allowing it to test optimisation mechanisms that will provide flexibility to the local electricity network.

“Decarbonising heating is an essential step in our country’s journey towards Net Zero” said Ian Cameron, director of customer service and innovation at UK Power Networks. “Homes are already transitioning to electric heat pumps, but for some, that is less straightforward.

“Through NeatHeat, we can open the door to millions of UK homes who don’t yet have access to decarbonised heating solutions. This is a new technology with tremendous potential to expand low-carbon heating across the UK. With installations underway, we’re putting it to work on the electricity network, finding out exactly what it can do and how it can benefit customers and the network. It is an important step towards a wider roll-out.”

According to Ovo, participants could cut their annual CO2 emissions by 2.5 to 3 tonnes - equivalent to driving over halfway around the world in a diesel car - during the trial, which runs for 12 months from when customers sign up.

“With household heating accounting for 17 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions, the project drives forward our commitment to promoting zero carbon living and a sustainable future, whilst helping our customers to lower their energy bills through the provision of smart green tech solutions,” said Alex Thwaites, head of zero carbon living OVO Energy.