Call For ‘Shared Boilers’ To Heat Homes

There have been calls from Members of the Scottish Parliament, academics and environmental agencies for a revolution in home heating. This involve a swap from household boilers to shared boilers. Those involved with the scheme argue that as well as saving families significant lots of money on their household bills, shared boilers would be more better for the environment, helping Scotland reach its climate targets more quickly.

Shared Boilers Proposals – What are the Details?

Essentially, the proposals call on the Scottish government to promote investment in “district heating” as part of a so-called Warm Homes Act. In simple terms, district heating involves large boilers delivering heating to whole areas through a network of pipes. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have already taken up the system sucessfully, where legislators have passed regulations to secure investment in the district heating infrastructure. There are several pilot schemes across Scotland. Caithness Heat and Power, for example, uses district heating to give energy to some 200 homes as well as the hospital in the town of Wick. Nonetheless, a lot of homes in Scotland – as in the rest of the United Kingdom – have their own dedicated boiler.

What Are the Benefits of District Heating?

Fans of district heating identify two key benefits. They first point out that a district heating could help Scotland reach its environmental targets. As it stands, less than 4% of Scotland’s heat is supplied via renewables and just 1% by district heating. Research suggests that this number needs to increase to 40% by 2030 to meet their targets.

The second main advantage of district heating is its potential to reduce energy bills dramatically and even eliminate fuel poverty. The high cost of household fuel is a troubling issue for families in the UK, and any scheme which could makes reduces costs for households would be welcomed.

District heating, of course, won’t happen overnight. Securing investment and building an infrastructure will take time. In the meantime, it may be time to consider a new boiler if you are worried about energy efficiency. Certainly, the latest generations of boiler – like the new Worcester Bosch boiler – are more efficient than older models. They can not only help you save money but are also more environmentally friendly. The government have set up various boiler replacement schemes to help qualifying families fund new boiler installation. Many companies also offer financing for new boilers. For more information, why not take a look at our new boilers.