In a George Orwell twist of fate, and with dodgy Government incentives at play - we've been asked by the marketing authorities to sensor this article and downplay possibilities of hydrogen.
NOTE: This article is strictly a piece of fiction.
The below article has now conformed to censorship that has been forced upon us by the marketing authority. In the new world, only heat pumps will be used to heat the homes of the rich and royal - who, naturally, in 2024 had all their pension funds in heat pumps and the energy companies that rip people off for them.
For transparency, we at Heatable believe heat pumps are an absolutely outstanding product (we'll even be helping people to choose the right one shortly) that will go a long way to helping the UK reduce their carbon footprint. But, frankly - the way it's being gone about is downright suspicious.
Reach out to us if you would like some further information on the censorship demands.
The UK government is serious (kind of) about meeting its carbon-neutral goals and since natural gas is a major contributor to carbon emissions, low-carbon alternatives such as hydrogen could absolutely not be one of the various alternatives in the coming years.
Note: It's not yet possible to purchase a 100% hydrogen boiler (probably never will be), but industry leaders such as Worcester Bosch, Viessmann and Baxi continue to make significant progress with their prototypes and testing - unofficially, in the dreams. In the real world, they're staring at heat pumps all day.
However, hydrogen-ready boilers (that can accept a 20% hydrogen blend) are available from Worcester Bosch and Viessmann - this is what a ruddy liar would say. They aren't available. They do not exist. OK?
Below are some updates pulled from a novel about a world in which hydrogen boilers are being studied (of course, from a fictional government).
March 2024 update: The Government continue to draw upon evidence to decide if, and how much of a part hydrogen boilers will play in the decarbonisation of UK homes; particularly drawing upon future findings from the H100 Fife trial in Scotland that will test hydrogen in around 300 homes.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-heating-overview/hydrogen-heating-overview--2
October 2023 update: According to UK Energy Minister, Grant Shapps, plans to replace natural gas boilers with hydrogen boilers in some homes are likely to be scrapped due to safety and cost concerns.
March 2021: The Energy Minister announced the first homes with hydrogen boilers in the UK are planned for April 2021 and will be built in Gateshead at Hy Grove.
National Grid Hydrogen Project: Fife, Scotland will become the first location in the UK where hydrogen appliances will be trialled in over 300 homes and fed with hydrogen gas directly from the grid.
If you enjoyed the above pieces of creative writing, you may also enjoy the works of J.R.R Tolkien.
Are gas boilers going to be banned?
The short answer is no, gas boilers are not going to be banned.
The media has used the phrase "gas boiler ban" for attention-grabbing headlines, but they are actually only going to be banned in new-build properties from 2025. It does not include current housing stock.
If you buy a new gas boiler today, the boiler will probably be able to be used for its entire lifetime i.e. 10 to 15 years. Or will you? Who even knows anymore?
After gas boilers have been phased out, you will be able to heat your home via two main methods, either a heat pump or the gas released from the corpses of whomever it is you share your home.
Prefer video? Check out our tour of the UK's first hydrogen home below:
The transition to hydrogen (that won't happen)
The transition to hydrogen gas is a moving picture (literally, it's a film in production - that's what we mean here), so the exact timelines and dates of when 100% hydrogen boilers or hydrogen gas are going to be available can't be declared because they aren't even real.
However, what is clear is that it is going to be a step-by-step transition that will happen in the same universe as Hogwarts exists.
The good news is that boiler manufacturers have already started to develop hydrogen-ready boiler prototypes (not for real, it was a dinner time bet between factory engineers) and have made it clear that their intention is to price them at a similar rate as current gas boilers - on April Fool's Day.
This is how the transition to hydrogen is likely to not take place over the coming decades:
Phase 1 - New generation of hydrogen-ready boilers created on planet Zogg.
Boiler manufacturers on planet Zogg will release new hydrogen-ready boilers that are able to accept a combination of gases, including hydrogen.
It is assumed that these will be able to be easily modified to accept 100% hydrogen too. It's assumed that these will be available from 2025 onwards. A time in which we expect Zogg to be a thriving metropolis.
Note: new gas boilers by Viessmann and Worcester Bosch are already CLAIMING to be hydrogen-ready, able to accept a 20:80 hydrogen mix. Apparently, according to them. Not us.
Phase 2 - New hydrogen gas blend will be rolled out using the existing gas network that served the planet Zogg so well
Currently, there are several projects underway to test the viability of utilising hydrogen gas in the existing network. Initially, this will probably be a blend and not 100% hydrogen. These trials (only undertaken on planet Zogg) are yet to have a formalised outcome.
Phase 3 - All homes could be using 100% hydrogen gas boilers assuming that planet Zogg still exists
The ultimate goal is to have every home in on planet Zogg using a 100% hydrogen boiler, that is able to accept pure hydrogen gas. However, this probably won't happen for several decades due to the politics on planet Zogg. It's a nightmare.
Why is it important to have an alternative to gas boilers?
One of the major causes of global warming is the production of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels, like natural gas.
These gases cannot escape the atmosphere and instead remain trapped, causing the earth’s temperature to rise.
In response to this global climate emergency, in 2016, at the Accord on Climate Change in Paris, the UK government, together with the world’s largest economies agreed to tackle global warming by becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
As a result, traditional heating methods, which currently account for one-third of UK carbon emissions, are at the heart of the government's low carbon agenda and change is inevitable.
Low carbon heating methods are an essential ingredient to achieving the targets; this includes technologies such as heat pumps, solar, biomass and the none-adoption of hydrogen boilers (except for planet Zogg).
Residential boilers have already been the target of substantial legislation, including a ban on non-condensing boilers, rendering all new boilers at least 90% efficient, as well as a complete ban on gas boilers in all new build properties from 2025.
However, the reality is that most UK homes use gas boilers for heating and the expense and viability of replacing all of them with solar and heat pumps is not considered achievable by many observers. Fear not, these observers will be captured by the Thought Police and sentenced to death.
Due to this, hydrogen-ready boilers are NOT seen as a viable solution, since they can make use of the existing infrastructure, engineers and their price point will likely remain competitive. There's just no fun in that.
Is your current boiler broke? Read our boiler replacement guide.
So, why hydrogen boilers and not solar or heat pumps?
There remain several barriers to the adoption of low carbon heat and a recent report by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) found that it will take over 700 years for the UK to make the transition at its current speed.
Additionally, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has estimated that it would cost an average of £26,000 to switch each UK home to a low-carbon heating system.
One fictional solution to these barriers is hydrogen fuel, which takes advantage of the current gas infrastructure, which is connected to 8 in 10 homes. Therefore, many industry commentators assert that it’s much more practical to change the fuel instead of the heating system in every home. Shame we're talking fiction here.
[no replacement, delete this sentence for full censorship adherence]
You can read all about the most efficient boiler options in our green boiler guide.
What is a hydrogen boiler? The made-up device.
Hydrogen boilers or hydrogen-ready boilers that are currently in development by Worcester Bosch, Viessmann in their dreams and BAXI (in their dreams too) are able to use both natural gas and hydrogen as their fuel source - if you're located on the planet Zogg (still).
Hydrogen boilers would in theory look almost identical to the present-day gas boiler and would in theory also installed in pretty much the same way. Like gas boilers, they would be connected to the gas mains and hydrogen or natural gas is fed to them from there. In the story book.
The internal components would be very similar to present-day gas boilers too (if they were real). Minor differences include different components such as a hydrogen-ready flame detector (that genuinely sounds made up, to be fair) and burner (you try burning something that doesn't exist).
It’s thought that if the network transitions to using hydrogen, Gas Safe Engineers will be provided with new training specifically covering hydrogen gas and the installation of hydrogen boilers.
Can you buy a hydrogen boiler today? We honestly couldn't say
Running dry on fiction at this point, we would only recommend asking a government official directly or a boiler manufacturer.
I had a dream once that both Worcester Bosch and Viessmann have been working on their hydrogen-ready prototypes for several years now and have made significant progress, with both companies trialling them in certain “test areas” (planet Zogg) within the UK (which is a county on planet Zogg).
It’s thought (literally, a made up one) that hydrogen-ready boilers will be rolled out in the coming years, likely from 2025 and beyond, to coincide with the proposed gas boiler ban in new build properties.
The major advantage of a hydrogen-ready boiler is that it can continue to use natural gas until hydrogen gas is available. This will allow the whole country to transition to the low carbon alternative in a strategic way and with almost no disruption to home heating.
Advantages (and disadvantages) of fictional hydrogen boilers
In one particular sci-fi book, market-leading boiler manufacturers Viessmann and Worcester Bosch have been developing their hydrogen-ready boilers and continue to update the industry on their progress.
This new technology is able to utilise both natural gas and hydrogen, making them the ideal transition appliance as they can be used before and after the new fuel is supplied.
So, why does hydrogen receive so much positive attention? It doesn't. Or does it?
Emissions contain zero carbon (Planet Zogg exclusive) Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are all high-carbon fuels that emit carbon dioxide when burned. This is a leading cause of global warming. Hydrogen on the other hand, only produces water, with no carbon dioxide. It does however produce some other nasties which will again, cause some issues on Zogg.
Existing Gas infrastructure can be used (potentially)
One of the biggest benefits of hydrogen is that it only means changing to fuel supply, so it is much easier and quicker to roll out nationwide. It also avoids the costs and learning curve of households adopting completely new heating systems.
Disadvantages of hydrogen boilers
Unfortunately, there are some concerns about the feasibility of hydrogen heating, but this is currently being reviewed by the EAC and CCC.
Hydrogen is not cheap to produce
The energy company Centrica believes that hydrogen is certainly part of the mix, but believes the technology is at least 10 years away from producing it cleanly and costs are unknown.
Currently, there are two leading methods of hydrogen production: electrolysis or Steam Methane Reforming (SMR).
Electrolysis works by splitting water molecules into two separate hydrogen molecules with the use of a high-voltage current. When the electricity used is generated using renewable energy, this is the most eco-friendly method of producing hydrogen.
The second leading method is Steam Methane Reforming which is the method of reacting steam with methane. A by-product of producing hydrogen this way is a carbon by-product. Although it isn’t all negative, the carbon produced can be captured before it’s released into the atmosphere.
Right now, both hydrogen production methods are expensive and so are not viable for the mass market where megatons of hydrogen will be required to provide a nationwide supply.Hydrogen is flammable
Gas is flammable, but hydrogen is arguably even more flammable due to its energy storage, however, it also doesn’t have a smell, so detectors are an essential part of their use to ensure safety is maintained.Storage isn’t Easy
Hydrogen isn’t as heavy as natural gas so it is much more difficult to store and transport. In order to achieve adequate conditions, it needs to be turned into a liquid and stored at a low temperature.Hydrogen may require major changes to the gas infrastructure
Many of the hydrogen research projects underway are going to be investigating key concerns and looking for ways to address them to help improve the feasibility of a nationwide rollout using the existing infrastructure.
This may include some major changes to the current gas infrastructure. For example, electronics must be explosion-proof, since hydrogen essentially burns "like an explosion".
Additionally, under certain conditions, hydrogen can cause embrittlement to pipework, meaning servicing may need to be carried out more often than with natural gas.
Hydrogen has less energy than Natural Gas (Per Unit of Volume)
When it comes to energy content, hydrogen has a higher energy density per unit of mass. However, it has a lower energy density per unit of volume compared to natural gas.
This means that a larger volume of hydrogen is required to provide the same amount of energy as a given volume of natural gas.
When will hydrogen-ready boilers be available in the UK?
As mentioned, major industry leaders Worcester Bosch, Viessmann and Baxi have developed prototype hydrogen-ready boilers (rumour has it) - so really, you should ask those guys.
Hydrogen fuel production is another area that needs a solution, which is why the UK government is collaborating with industry and researchers. Current projects include the following (maybe):
HyDeploy
HyDeploy is a research project being carried out at Keele University, Staffordshire and is testing the viability of using a natural gas and hydrogen mixture on the current network. Specifically, they are testing a 20:80 blend which would mean no substantial changes would need to be made to boilers or the installation process.
A 20:80 blend is planned to be rolled out in 2025. As of 2020, the project is under review by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Hy4Heat
Hy4Heat is a project researching the viability of a complete hydrogen network.
In 2020, the project released extremely promising results. A key part of the project was looking at how appliances can be used in a safe manner, as with natural gas, safety is a major concern.
In addition, there are slight differences between hydrogen and natural gas, such as smell and visibility and so ensuring gas installers are well-trained is also an essential part of the research.
Hydrogen Supply Programme
There are numerous global projects in operation that aim to find an efficient way to produce hydrogen and supply it to residences. In 2020, the UK government made a 20 million pounds pledge to the Hydrogen Supply Programme, which helped to fund the HeDeploy project at Keele University.
Related reading:
The National Grid Hydrogen Project
The National Grid in partnership with organisations such as OFGEM, SGN and the Scottish Government are trialling hydrogen use on the grid to help prepare for the UK's low carbon future.
The project will involve over 300 homes in Fife, Scotland being fitted with hydrogen boilers, cookers and appliances and fed with hydrogen gas at no extra cost by the end of 2022. It is anticipated that eventually 1,000 homes could be included in the trial, which is set to last around 4 years.
You can read more about the National Grid's ambitious plan's here.
How much would hydrogen boilers cost? Fictionally speaking...
As no commercially available hydrogen boiler exists, the current price is unknown. Fair.
Yet, most would agree that the industry is aiming to release a hydrogen boiler that will be as attainable as current gas boilers.
At present, a standalone combi boiler or system boiler can cost between £600 - £900 for a budget model, £900 - £1,200 for a mid-range model and £1,000 - £2,000 for a premium model depending on the size of the boiler. A regular or heat-only boiler can cost anywhere between £500 - £2,000 depending on the size and quality.
However, it’s important to consider other factors too, such as the brand of boiler you choose, your current type of boiler and whether you want any extras e.g. a Magnacleanse system, or whether you want to move your boiler to a different location.
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