An engineering firm has claimed the heat given off by home appliances could be used to warm homes…
It sounds bizarre, but your TV and refrigerator could be used to heat your home. Max Fordham, one of Britain’s leading engineering consultancies, has claimed utilising the heat from these types of appliances could make central heating systems redundant in the future.
According to the firm, effective insulation could mean heat produced by these appliances could be sufficient to keep homes warm all year round. Central heating would only be required on the very coldest days.
The plan, which would reduce the amount of energy needed to heat homes, would help with the cost of fuel bills, as well as cutting CO2 emissions. It would also improve fuel security in Britain, reducing the nation’s reliance on imported oil and gas.
Max Fordham also criticised misguided planning regulations, which had resulted in putting systems into place that were ineffective. This includes the Combine Heat and Power schemes (CHP), which use heat produced as a by-product of power generation, and District Heating, which involves a centralised system that distributes heat to multiple properties. Max Fordham said both of these systems could be highly inefficient, as the systems burn energy all year round.
Bill Watts, senior partner at Max Fordham said: “Instead of installing complicated heating systems, developers should insulate new builds more effectively.
“A well-insulated home should only need to be heated for a few days a year.
“These complicated heating systems are on all year round, producing fifty-two weeks of heating bills for heat that customers don’t use or need.”
CHP and District Heating systems can cost up to around £50,000 for new dwellings over a 25-year period. These systems, which have been installed in over 21,000 homes in London alone, have taken over £1bn from development funds.
He added: “These systems add a huge upfront cost to new developments which might be acceptable if they actually saved energy.
The absurd fact is that not only are they a waste of money, but they’re a waste of resources too.
“Our priority must be insulating our homes. Good insulation reduces the amount of energy required to keep our homes warm.
“It also ensures that all of the heat generated internally – by the kitchen fridge or even your own body heat – remains trapped inside, further reducing the need to import any additional heat energy into the home.”
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