Power station in your home set to generate big savings

FLAMELESS boilers which promise to slash household fuel bills are being developed by Scottish Gas.

The boilers would provide both heating and electricity from gas-powered "fuel cells", which do not need a pilot light or use combustion. Instead, they generate power and heat via an electrochemical reaction inside a wafer-thin fuel cell that is no bigger than a CD case.

The "new generation" boilers are expected to be available within five years at a cost of between 2500 and 3000. They would be more expensive than a standard domestic boiler, but, because they generate electricity as well as heating, they offer the promise of "substantial" savings on fuel bills.

The other attraction of the new boilers is that they are environmentally-friendly. Without the need for a flame, they generate between 30 and 50 per cent less carbon dioxide than standard boilers.

Scottish Gas has teamed up with development company Ceres Power for the project to create the first mass market fuel cell- powered domestic boilers.

A Scottish Gas spokeswoman said: "We are looking at introducing premium top-of-the-range boilers. We want to make them available within five years, although it may well be sooner. We hope they will catch on among the public. The benefits from are that they will save money and the boilers are much better for the environment. They are quite a revolution when it comes to heating the home. It's a flameless boiler - a new start for the way boilers work."

Researchers at Sussex-based Ceres Power have been developing the wafer-thin fuel cells for around 15 years. Each is around the size of a CD case and about half the thickness of a human hair.

They stack together to create a cube-shaped generator which can replace the burner unit in domestic boilers.

A six-inch stack of the cells can provide heat, hot water, and enough electricity to power a television, DVD player, computer, fridge and freezer and household lights. Each cell consists of three separate layers - a cathode, anode and electrolyte. An electrochemical reaction takes place when gas and air pass over it. This generates both heat and electricity.

The new boilers will be powered via the existing domestic gas supply. This means they could be installed in UK households within five years, Scottish Gas said.

The company would not disclose how much it planned to invest in the fuel cell project.

Dominic Shorrocks, director of new businesses at Scottish Gas Home Services, said: "Making green energy a reality is a core part of our strategy. This technology will be like having a mini power station in the kitchen and could help our customers save money."

Ceres Power chairman Philip Holbeche said the fuel cell boilers would be extremely safe to use because they won't use combustion or emit fumes.

He added: "It would use the same amount of gas but you would get electricity as a bonus. It is potentially a revolution in the way we deal with energy."

The fuel cells can potentially be powered using hydrogen. Ceres is also developing ways of using fuel cells to replace power generators in rural areas and to provide electricity in cars and lorries.